P4 Shadows of the Heart
by L. A. Moonfyre
Summary: A story that centers around Naoto and Rise as they are forced into the TV world alone. They must overcome the obstacles ahead of them as well as in between them just to survive long enough to escape alive.
1. Episode 1: Return to the Rabbit Hole

**Persona 4 Fan-fiction - Shadows of the Heart**  
**Episode 1: Return to the Rabbit Hole**

It had been a few months since the Investigation Team were all together, and most of them buzzed with excitement for the special upcoming vacation. It would be the last chance for the closely knitted group of friends to see each other before college began for some of them, and they planned to make the most of it.

Risette called in a few favors and had managed to score a condo at a nice resort in the mountains for their reunion, but at the cost of her vacation becoming a public announcement to her fans. She shrugged it off, because she was more interested in seeing her senpai and spending time with them. The brunette girl giggled for the umpteenth time that day and swiveled around on the bar stool she sat upon. Rise had wanted to arrive at the resort early to make sure everything was absolutely perfect before the others got there, so now she waited eagerly.

She had big plans in terms of activities for the group, including a devious plot to finally see Naoto in a swimsuit. It in the time that Rise had known the brilliant detective, she still had never seen the girl wearing anything of the sort, so the idol vowed that it would happen during that vacation. The resort she had rented the condo from was a small and relatively private location that offered an outdoor public hot springs, so swimsuits were a must.

While Rise thought about the shy detective, she paused as realization crept on her. She had been thinking about Naoto a lot lately, ever since the few weeks they had spent close together during one of the detective's cases. It had involved a rather nasty stalker who had continuously threatened by sending mail that he would personally take Rise's body and ultimately her life, and Rise could think of no one better to solve the case and catch the stalker than Naoto.

The enigmatic Naoto spent night and day with the idol during a European tour and the two couldn't help but grow closer. Naoto reached a point where she opened up to Rise, but just before really expressing her feelings, the detective had again snapped a lid over her heart and distanced herself emotionally from Rise. The idol had been wracking her brain ever since, trying to understand what exactly had happened, but Naoto was very good at hiding her heart. Although the two had not spoken casually since the case closed, Naoto still accepted Rise's invite to the resort for the group's reunion.

The brunette girl had her suspicions on what might be going on with the detective, but she also knew Naoto well enough to keep her silence until she had obvious proof. If she was right, then she didn't want to risk spooking the shy girl into distancing herself even more. A small sigh escaped Rise as she leaned forward on the counter with an elbow, her thoughts completely absorbing her focus. She didn't notice the lobby door open behind her nor the quiet footsteps that approached, so when someone cleared their throat she whirled around in surprise and successfully knocked the bar stool off balance.

Idol and chair toppled to the floor with a startled cry, but a familiar pair of hands caught Rise before she hit the ground completely. Her knees were bruised, but she was spared a smarting headache. Her light brown eyes met a thoughtful blue gaze and Rise couldn't stop her smile. "Naoto-kun! It's great to see you again," the idol greeted happily as she got to her feet with a steady hand from the shorter girl.

The detective showed a rare smile before she pulled away from Rise. "I see that I have arrived a bit ahead of schedule. Have Yu-senpai and the others showed up yet?"

The idol shook her head in reply, trying to ignore the way her chest tightened when Naoto had immediately pulled back. "I got a text from Yu-senpai around twenty minutes ago and he said that he should be here soon with Yosuke-senpai. The others are taking a later train... Why did you get here so early?" Rise asked as she stood the bar stool back up on its legs.

"Ah, well I happened to be nearby on a job, but my part of it is complete. There will be no interruptions this time around," Naoto answered with a nod.

A heavy silence quickly fell between the two girls and the detective tugged the bill of her hat lower to avoid meeting the gaze of the idol. Rise inwardly sighed. It seemed that for some reason, Naoto continued to maintain a certain emotional distance from Rise, but the brunette decided to not let it affect the way she treated her friend. She gave Naoto a familiar and sincere smile while motioning to the bar stool beside her, reclaiming her own seat. "We've got some time before everyone else gets here, so would you like to hear about some of my plans for our vacation?"

The detective gave a nod in response while sitting down beside her, blue eyes focused on Rise but yet still avoiding eye contact.

* * *

The rest of the group reached the resort shortly after, instantly filling the lobby with cheerful voices and laughter. The son of the Inaba Junes store manager approached Rise with a grin and he leaned against the counter while running his fingers through his bangs. "So, Rise-chan... found yourself a boyfriend yet?" Yosuke asked, wagging his eyebrows at her.

The idol didn't have time to reply before Chie took him down with a precise kick to the abdomen. "God, Yosuke! You're not even here for five minutes, and already you're trying to hook up with Rise-chan?! How pathetic can one guy be?"

Yosuke could only groan in reply.

The fiery girl promptly took Rise by the arm and steered her away while she said, "Come on, let's go have a civilized conversation with Yukiko and Yu-san!"

"Y-you don't think a flying kick to the gut is uncivilized?!" Yosuke weakly argued from his place on the floor.

Rise couldn't hide her giggle at this exchange between her upperclassmen. She had missed them a lot, she realized, but she found herself watching Naoto more than anyone else. The detective remained sitting at the counter where Kanji had joined her, but she glanced at the brunette girl when she felt Rise's quiet gaze on her.

Their eyes met for a brief moment and Rise smiled just for Naoto. In a rush, the detective turned to stare furiously at the wooden counter-top while her mind raced with all kinds of crazy thoughts. Naoto had to again convince herself that she was simply reading too much into things and struggled to maintain her cool composure, but she couldn't deny the fact that her heart was pounding.

"Hey, Naoto, ya feelin' alright? Looks like somethin's buggin' ya," Kanji said while leaning closer to her out of concern.

She rubbed her eyes as she responded, "I'm fine. I'm probably just a bit exhausted from wrapping up my latest case, so please do not pay it any mind." The blonde boy arched an eyebrow at her and she shook her head as she rephrased, "Uh... everything's cool... man."

He gave a nod of approval before he was dragged away by a very excited Teddie, the odd bear in his human form and blabbering on about the public hot springs just behind the main building of the resort. A sense of relief washed over Naoto as soon as she was alone and she wondered to herself why she was so tense.

It was supposed to be a vacation, right? And these were her dear friends and fellow investigators, not hostiles. She gave herself a mental shake while standing up. It _was_ a vacation, after all, and the small detective knew that she had to work more on loosening up. Being tense all of the time wasn't healthy anyway.

Even as she thought this, she caught those honey brown eyes watching her again and her feet had her shuffling towards the front doors of the lobby. When she heard someone ask where she was going, she replied without turning, "Just need some fresh air." A moment later and she stepped out into the gentle light of dusk.

Naoto took a deep lungful of air just as a mountain breeze caressed her face, and she wasn't surprised when she heard the door open behind her. "Rise-san, you didn't have to accompany me," the detective said, recognizing the footsteps that approached her from behind.

The brunette paused and commented, "I really don't know how you do that. How you always know it's me."

A wry grin touched Naoto's lips with her reply, "I remember the pattern of your footsteps, that's all."

Rise closed the remaining distance between them and smiled once their gazes touched. "Would you mind if I walk with you? I can show you around and take you to the condo I rented for all of us," the idol offered.

Naoto gave a nod in reply without a second thought. "Lead the way, Risette-sama!"

The two made their way along a path that curved around the main building before winding its way through beautiful cherry blossom trees and gorgeous flowers. Naoto couldn't help but be struck by the beauty of such a place, the awe on her face a very rare sight that Rise was happy she got to see.

As the girls approached the two-story building that Rise had rented, the brunette bit her lower lip in thought. "Say, Naoto-kun... would you mind if I ask you something?"

The detective froze on the spot, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. She met gentle brown eyes with fear filling her own and at a loss for words. Rise scuffed a toe against the smooth inlay rocks that formed the path for a moment before she finally dared to ask, "... What's been on your mind lately? Ever since you helped me catch that creepy guy in Europe, you've been acting sorta strange around me. Did I do something wrong?"

Of course Rise had a good idea about what exactly was on the sharp detective's mind, but she knew that it was dangerous to say it outright. For this sort of matter, approaching it at a different angle seemed more logical when it involved Naoto. The shorter girl was very intelligent, but she lacked knowledge about how to deal with her own emotions.

In answer, Naoto let out a heavy breath and shook her head. "No, you have done nothing wrong, Rise-san. It-it's me..." A slight tremble started to run through her, but she shook her head more vigorously as if denying something. "A-anyway, it doesn't really matter-"

"Of _course_ it matters! I don't like it when something is troubling you..." Rise trailed off, biting her lower lip again because Naoto shook her head once more.

"It doesn't matter because nothing is wrong. Besides, you like Yu-senpai, don't you? I've seen the way you two look at each other, which logically can only mean one thing..." The solemn detective stepped towards the front door of the condo as she faintly whispered, "... Who am I to stand in the way of that?"

She had not intended Rise to hear that last statement, but the idol did hear it. Rise followed Naoto into the condo as she said, "Wait, Naoto-kun! What do you mean by that? There's nothing between me and Yu-senpai!"

They had both stepped beyond the doorway of the condo by this point, and the shorter girl whirled around. Her voice trembled as she said, "Yes there is. It's been obvious to all of us for a while now – you like him and he likes you. There's nothing wrong with that at all, Rise-san, so there is nothing wrong with me! Just leave it alone!"

Neither of the girls had noticed the stranger standing in the room with them due to their argument, but when she let out an angry bellow and charged towards them, Naoto instinctively reacted. The detective drew her small handgun but she didn't have enough time to aim. Instead she used it to pistol-whip the attacker across the face and heard a wet snap in reaction to her brutal blow, but it couldn't stop the momentum of the stranger's body.

Naoto was knocked backwards towards a large plasma TV mounted to a wall and she fell with a cry. She didn't crash into anything like she had expected because she just kept on falling. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was Rise frantically screaming her name.

* * *

The sky above had darkened by the time the rest of the investigation team were taken to the condo by a resort guide. Although neither Rise nor Naoto had appeared after their walk, most of the gang expected to find them waiting in the condo.

What they actually found quickly raised a flurry of questions and panic. The door of the condo stood wide open with a disturbingly thick trail of blood crossing the threshold and disappearing into the grass around the side. The resort guide asked the group to wait outside while he went in to check around. As he entered alone, Kanji had to be physically restrained by Yu and Yosuke.

The tall boy unleashed a colorful string of curses while Yu shouted over him, "Calm down! I know you're worried, we all are, but anger won't help anyone right now!" Kanji didn't stop cursing, but he did relax in their hold.

Eventually the resort guide stepped outside again and he said, "I didn't see anyone, but there are signs of a struggle. Please stay out here while I call the police..."

With that, he ran back down the path that led to the resort's main building and Kanji spat, "Like hell we're just gonna stand here!" Yu's calm grey eyes met the gazes of Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Teddie, and Kanji, and the close group of friends all nodded in unison. The boy then led the way to the ajar front door with Yosuke right by his side and the rest of his friends immediately behind them.

Upon entering the front room of the condo, the first details that jumped out at Yu were blood and broken furniture. He held up a hand to stop the others from entering right away so he could closely look around. The blood was concentrated near a wall where a large plasma TV was mounted, and it stayed relatively confined in that area before trailing towards the door. An expensive glass table lay shattered on the floor with an overturned plush chair on top of it, and drops of blood splattered the wall and across the cracked screen of the TV.

Yu's eyes narrowed and his heart missed a beat. Carefully he stepped into the room, being mindful to avoid contaminating the scene while getting as close to the TV as possible. "Yu-san... what are you thinking?" Chie faintly asked after she took in the sight of everything. He didn't reply, his eyes focused on a smear of blood along the edge of the broken TV. As he got closer, the smear revealed itself as a partial handprint, and his fingers flew for his cell phone.

"What the hell happened in here..." Yosuke muttered while Yu dialed the number for Dojima, his uncle in Inaba.

"I have a really bad feeling..." Yukiko whispered fearfully, her dark eyes fixated on the blank screen of the TV.

"Hello, Dojima? I know this is out of your jurisdiction, but we need _your_ help... Rise-chan and Naoto-kun are missing..."

By the time local police responded to the resort, Yu and his friends were all standing outside of the condo, waiting to be questioned. Yu's conversation with Dojima had been very brief, but at the veteran cop's direction Yu had carefully collected a small sample of the blood pooling the floor and snapped a high resolution photograph of the bloody handprint. It wouldn't be as good as actually lifting the print, but it was better than nothing.

It had already been agreed between the friends that during the fight, Naoto and Rise had likely ended up within the strange world of the TV. They had questioned nearby guests of the resort, and one witness said that they had seen the two missing friends enter the condo around the time they had left for their walk. No one had noticed anyone leave though. Kanji had immediately tried to enter the TV, but something prevented him from entering at that location. They speculated that maybe it was due to the screen being cracked, but Teddie reminded them that they were also not in Inaba.

The longer that the police questioned the group, the more agitated some of them became. Kanji refused to cooperate with the cops at first, but after Chie pointed out that they were only trying to find Rise and Naoto, the blonde boy complied (though not without making sure everyone knew his opinion on doing so).

After an exhaustive marathon of questioning, the police finally released the friends and they were taken to another condo on the resort. Once they had gathered in the front room that bore an eerie resemblance of the damaged condo, they all remained quiet for a while. A heavy restlessness filled the entire room until Kanji let out a shout, "What the fuck are we gonna do!?"

Teddie prodded the smooth surface of the wall mounted TV as he muttered, "Maybe it won't let us through because we aren't in Inaba..."

"Then how do you explain Naoto-kun and Rise-chan vanishing like that?" Chie questioned.

Yu stood beside Teddie and studied his own reflection within the black screen, his hand brushing across the surface without any odd ripples forming. "Ted's right, they shouldn't have been able to get in from here, so maybe they were physically carried away from the resort," Yosuke suggested.

The grey haired boy turned to face his comrades as he spoke up, "Something about this entire thing feels off. I don't think they were both subdued and then carried off, someone would have seen something that suspicious. There are guests all over outside. I can't explain how just yet, but I have a gut feeling that they were pushed into the TV world..."

Kanji growled, "How the fuck did that happen, and how the fuck do we go in after them?! We can't just leave them in there alone!"

"And who did this in the first place?" Yukiko asked.

Silence followed these remarks.

Several ideas ran through Yu's mind until he decided on a plan of action. "We need to divide our forces," he said, drawing everyone's attention with the resolution in his voice.

"Split up?" Yosuke reiterated.

Yu nodded and laid out his idea for everyone to consider, "Yeah. I want to take this blood sample back to my uncle and see if he can link it to the suspect with a DNA search, and I want to try to enter the TV world. If we can't get in from here, we should be able to get in back in Inaba."

"I'm goin' with ya, then!" Kanji cut in.

Yu put up a hand so he could continue. "A few of us need to hang back here and seek more information on the suspect. That blood trail shows that whoever did this did not follow them into the TV, so they might be hanging around here even now." His intense eyes fell onto Yosuke, Yukiko, and Chie before he said, "I think it would be best if you three do some digging around here. Someone who left that much blood behind could not have gotten off of the resort without being noticed. Ted, Kanji, and I will go back to Inaba and get into the TV world to look for Naoto and Rise."

His words were followed immediately by nods and statements of approval from everyone present. Yu looked at Teddie and Kanji and said, "Come on, then! We'll catch the next train to take us back home!"

* * *

The small detective stirred to the sound of someone crying right beside her. Blue eyes fluttered open, and immediately afterward someone laid their head against her chest. "Oh, Naoto-kun! Thank God you're okay!" Rise sobbed, her teary eyes meeting Naoto's gaze. The shorter girl could feel the brunette trembling against her, and as Naoto sat up, she noticed blood staining the left sleeve of Rise's blouse.

"Rise-san, are you injured?" she asked while instinctively reaching towards the idol's arm.

Rise pulled it away while she muttered, "It's not that bad... But Naoto-kun, we're stuck. In the TV world."

Genuinely surprised, Naoto looked around them and took in several details she had missed. The room they were in was initially the same as the front room of the condo, but the atmosphere was thick and eerie. A quick glance outside of the window showed familiar fog, and Naoto again met fearful brown eyes.

_Well, one thing at a time..._ Naoto thought while reaching towards Rise's bloody arm again. "Let me see your arm, please. Any injury should be taken care of as soon as possible, and I don't like to see you in pain," Naoto said softly, her sincerity touching her eyes. Rise sniffed and nodded, shifting around so she could hold her arm out to Naoto.

The blood appeared to be originating from her forearm, so the detective carefully rolled the ruined sleeve up. The torn fabric revealed several jagged cuts across the brunette's skin and she winced when Naoto uncovered the wounds. "How did this happen?" Naoto asked, a hand of hers dipping into one of her jacket pockets to retrieve her personal first-aid kit.

"Th-that girl... I jumped her after she pushed you into the TV, but she knocked me over a chair and I landed on the glass table..." Rise replied.

Naoto silently appraised the idol. Rise had a lot of courage and inner strength, and it sounded like she hadn't hesitated when Naoto was in trouble... The detective shook her head. Now was not the time to entertain such strange thoughts.

She held up a disinfectant spray as she said, "Brace yourself, Rise-san. This will sting a bit." The brunette sucked in a sharp breath when the solution made contact, but after the initial pain faded, Rise flashed that smile for Naoto. The shorter girl distracted herself by carefully placing gauze over the wounds, then wrapping up Rise's arm with a length of clothe bandage.

Once she was done, she placed the unused supplies back into her jacket, and Rise casually commented, "You're always so prepared, and you look like you have plenty of bandages."

Naoto responded faster than she could think about the words falling from her mouth, "I tend to use a lot to help flatten my chest, so I always carry extra with me..." Her voice trailed off and a blush struck her cheeks while a grin touched Rise's lips, and Naoto sputtered, "A-anyway, we should find a way out of here!" She got to her feet in a rush, her eyes roaming around the room in an effort to avoid making eye contact with the idol.

Her mind began to turn over several ideas, many questions formulating and sending her insatiable curiosity into overdrive. "Hmm... I believe Yosuke-senpai mentioned something about having Teddie-san leave an exit TV on this side in case one of us ended up here unintentionally. Do you know where it is located?"

Rise shook her head as she replied, "No, not from here, but I can try to scan for it."

Naoto nodded whille stepping aside to give the brunette ample space. She watched Rise clasp her hands together in front of her and shut her eyes, the idol's heart calling out for the deeper power within her. "Himiko," Rise whispered with a smile. Almost immediately a bright light manifested behind her and took the tall shape of her Persona. She lowered the visor over Rise's eyes and then started to sweep their current area for information.

It was a few minutes before the brunette girl said, "I can feel it, but it's nowhere close to us so I can't pinpoint it exactly. We gotta head south from here, though."

The detective checked her revolver as she asked, "Do you sense anyone or anything around us?"

Rise's reply was immediate, "No, there's nothing. It's just us." Himiko nodded to Naoto before disappearing, and honey brown eyes met blues.

"It would make sense that Teddie-san's exit TV isn't near us, but there are several things that are bothering me... Who put us in here, why they did so, and also how. I thought that we could only enter the TV world from Inaba... The fact that we were forced here from another region could have some troubling implications..."

Rise took a step closer to the thoughtful detective as she whispered, "Like what?"

Naoto intently studied her as she answered, "This world inside of the TV is growing larger, and more lives are at risk if it is discovered." The tone of her voice drove a chill down the brunette's spine. If the expanded world was discovered, all kinds of bad things could happen... Though bad things were already happening to them. Rise recalled the terrifying expression on the girl's face when she had attacked them; it had been a contorted mix of rage, jealousy, and a twisted sort of joy. Thinking about it even now still filled the brunette with terrified feelings, but she would not hesitate to take the girl down again if she went after Naoto.

When her mind thought of the detective, Rise looked at the small detective and smiled despite everything bad that was going on. Naoto caught that smile and instantly turned away to control her blushing while she thought to herself, _Stop it! This isn't the time for such ridiculous notions! It doesn't mean anything... _The detective's expression hardened and she promptly walked to the door, avoiding the idol's gaze. The brunette ignored the subtle pain in her chest and followed Naoto outside.

Beyond the replicated condo, the immediate area was thick with that strange fog, making it near impossible to discern any details. Naoto reached into her jacket and drew out a familiar pair of glasses. Rise smiled when she saw them, and Naoto slipped them on as she said, "I always carry these with me wherever I go, despite the fact that I never needed them until now."

The brunette's smile grew with her reply, "That's kinda funny, because I do the same thing." She put on her own pair of glasses, and all around the thick fog faded away to reveal the resort. It was creepy and void of life, causing the two girls to feel unsettled.

Rise hadn't noticed that they had stopped walking until Naoto said, "We should start making our way to the exit TV. Who knows how long it will take us to reach it."

A nod was Rise's reply.

Slowly they started to follow the inlay rock path that would lead them to the main building of the resort, the only sounds accompanying them their own footsteps. While they walked, Rise stayed unnaturally close to Naoto. The detective would usually make a comment to gain some distance, but truthfully she was scared, too. The two were utterly alone in a silent landscape with no ideas on what would happen next, so Naoto was quietly grateful to feel the brunette's trembling hands on her arm.

The tall trees that they had passed under on their way to the condo before now seemed to loom over them with malice. Empty buildings stood here and there across the landscape, each one silently crying out in loneliness – Naoto shook herself. She was allowing her imagination to run amok, influencing her interpretations of her surroundings. The empty buildings weren't crying out in loneliness, that feeling was emitting from her heart...

"_No!_" she called out, for a moment not realizing that she had vocalized her dismissal outloud until Rise asked what was wrong. The shorter girl pulled off her glasses to rub her suddenly burning eyes. "Nothing..." she muttered hollowly, unwilling to meet Rise's eyes for fear that the brunette would be able to see right through her facade.

Rise didn't need to meet her gaze to know what was really wrong though, but before she could reply something lunged at her from the shadows of the trees. It struck the idol square in the chest, sending her crashing against the ground and knocking the air right out of her lungs. Naoto whirled around in surprise and came face-to-face with a Shadow she had never seen before.

It crouched low on all four limbs while letting out a grating growl and gnashing crooked teeth together in anticipation. Its shape roughly resembled the body of a hare, though its size was about as big as a grizzly bear with wicked claws to match. A spotted coat covered its sinewy body in neutral colors of grey and black while its head and limbs were snow white. Naoto drew her gun and in the same motion the Shadow released the tension in its muscles to perform a powerful leap.

The small detective went down with a cry, large claws shredding her jacket like tissue paper and ripping two gashes into her side. "P-Persona!" Naoto gasped out desperately from underneath the bulk of the Shadow's body. A bright light flashed above them, and the air hissed from a fast swipe of a thin blade. The Shadow roared in pain as Sukuna-Hikona made his mark, slicing open flesh and muscle across a hind leg. Leaping off of Naoto, the Shadow fell for the bait and was led away, giving the small girl the chance to sit up and crawl over to the gasping brunette. "Rise-san! Are you alright?"

The idol sat up, clutching her chest and still struggling to draw air, but she nodded that she was fine and gestured for Naoto to get back to the fight. Naoto winced and pressed her free hand against her bleeding side as she got to her feet, turning to watch the battle with a critical eye. She raised her revolver and held it evenly as she stepped in between Rise and the Shadow. Sukuna-Hikona drove the creature closer to the waiting detective until a shot rang out. The precisely aimed bullet tore through the monster's neck and dropped it instantly, putting the fight to a quick end.

A soft wheeze sounded from the Shadow and its body grew still, then Naoto dropped to her knees and her Persona faded away into light. She took a look at the hand that she had pressed to her side and wasn't surprised to see it soaked in her blood. Rise gasped loudly when Naoto drew her bloody hand away from the open wounds, but before she could get close, the detective said, "Quick, check around to see if there are any more surprises awaiting us." Her tone had been much sharper than she had intended, but Rise nodded all the same.

"... I should have sensed it when it got near us. I'm sorry, Naoto-kun," the brunette said while getting to her feet. The detective took shallow breaths as she waited. Himiko responded at Rise's urging, and after a few moments the idol reported, "It's the same as before. There's absolutely nothing around us."

By the time that Himiko had vanished and cleared Rise's field of vision, Naoto was completely unconscious and crumpled on the ground. Kneeling down beside the unconscious girl, Rise tenderly rolled Naoto onto her back before pulling out the detective's first-aid kit from a jacket pocket. "... I have a feeling that this won't last us very long here," the brunette said sadly while studying the tiny box in her trembling hands. She could feel tears threatening to break through but she didn't let that stop her from taking care of Naoto. Her hands began to undo the buttons on the detective's jacket as the first bitter tears rolled down her cheeks.

_Episode 1 End~_


	2. Episode 2: Search and Destroy

Episode 2: Search and Destroy

Although the three boys had caught some sleep on the train ride back to Inaba, exhaustion still weighed on them heavily once they reached the quiet town. It was early morning when they stepped off the train, and Teddie pointed out that Junes wouldn't be open for a few more hours. "But, as an employee, I can bear-y easily get us into the store~!" Teddie offered with a knowing wink.

The grey haired boy smiled down at him before glancing at Kanji swaying on his feet in exhaustion, and thoughtfully Yu said, "It might be better to wait for Junes to open, and I want to get this evidence to Dojima as soon as possible. Another nap wouldn't hurt either. If we go into the TV while we're this tired, then we won't exactly be much help to anyone." Kanji only managed a nod in agreement, stumbling a step or two before snapping awake again.

Yu led the two to the house that he occasionally shared with Nanako and Dojima, where Teddie and Kanji promptly passed out together in a heap on the floor. Yu and Dojima sat at the table while Nanako covered the snoring forms of Teddie and Kanji with blankets.

The veteran cop took the small amount of evidence that Yu offered before he let out a deeply rooted sigh. "Now I know you've already made up your mind about all of this, but you have to promise me that you're gonna be careful."

Grey eyes met the older man's gaze and held it as he replied, "I promise. I want everyone to get through this alive, and I will do anything in my power to see that through."

"Don't get careless. If this is anything like the serial murders, you need to be at the top of your game," Dojima said.

Yu smiled with a confident nod, "Always."

* * *

The three regrouped at the condo around noon to share any information they had picked up during their morning patrol of the resort. Chie was the first to speak up, "Well, I didn't come up with a whole lot aside from a strange blonde girl snooping around the condo before Naoto-kun and Rise-chan disappeared. No one knows who she was and they don't remember seeing her later."

Yukiko sat up straighter as she said, "I came across a couple who escorted a blonde girl with a broken nose to the first-aid room, but they didn't get a name and didn't see her afterward."

At this Yosuke smirked and commented, "Sounds like our girls didn't go down without a fight!" Chie glared at him until he dropped his shoulders and dejectedly responded, "...but I didn't come across anything myself. Yukiko, did you go to the first-aid room yet?"

The taller girl got to her feet as she said, "Not yet. I thought it would be better if we went together."

Chie nodded and added, "It's our best lead right now. Let's go."

The three all headed for the door of the condo at the same time. Yukiko paused for a step to watch Chie and Yosuke collide into each other in the door frame. They both immediately began to argue and blame each other while they struggled to pull themselves out from their wedged position and Yukiko snorted in a failing effort to stifle an oncoming laughing fit.

* * *

After a few hours of restless sleep, the three boys stood in the familiar electronics department of Junes by the TV displays. Yu thoughtfully studied the huge flatscreen TV that served as the investigation team's main entrance into the strange world beyond. How long had it been since he had last stepped foot into the reflective world of people's hearts and darkest desires? Since he had called for that slumbering power within him and felt it respond to his needs? It seemed like it had been years.

His eyes narrowed as he briefly wondered about the fate of Rise and Naoto; a train of thought that he had not allowed to cross until now to avoid a building sense of panic. He exhaled deeply while pushing those troubling thoughts aside again, and Teddie said, "The coast is clear, sensei~!"

Yu gave a single nod and reached forth to enter the TV, just like he had done countless times before. His fingers came in contact with the smooth screen, but it did not yield to him. For a moment he froze, until Kanji urged him, "C'mon, senpai, whaddaya waitin' for?" Yu pushed with a little more force, but still the screen remained solid.

"Uh..." He was at a loss for words, but his mannerism clearly explained the problem to the other two.

"Oh, don't tell me..." Kanji started as he reached for the TV. His fingers stopped on the screen as well, unable to push through into the TV world. "Wh-what the hell?!" he shouted.

Yu glanced at Teddie, who had visibly paled. "Teddie, can you get in?" Yu asked, though he could already guess the answer.

The short blonde boy reached for the TV and his hand stopped when it touched the screen as well. "There's some unnatural force that's keeping the gateway closed from this side... I've never seen this before! How can anything stop me from going back?" Teddie said, not bothering to keep the panic from his voice.

Kanji had been trembling on Yu's other side, but he suddenly exploded into raw fury. "_What the fuck?! Why can't we go in, dammit!?_" he screamed while swinging his fist. This time he did manage to go through the screen, but by shattering it as his fist smashed into the TV. The large flatscreen toppled backwards, crashing into several other TVs and destroying them in the process.

Teddie gulped hard as Kanji howled in rage and pain, sporting a fresh set of bloody knuckles. Yu had only a few seconds to think before Junes employees descended upon them and found the three among the chaos of shattered TVs. Expensive shattered TVs. Yu rubbed his eyes as he thought of a solution that would get them out of the store with as little trouble as possible and he silently apologized to Yosuke as he said, "I'm sorry, my friend here tripped and his hand smacked the TV really hard, but we're good friends with the store manager's son..."

After the three finally managed to get out of the store without the threat of police involvement, they stood dazed in the sun. Kanji sat down hard on the curb and stared down at his bandaged hand while Teddie desperately tried to stop crying. "Wh-what do we do, sensei? I've always been able to go back home whenever I wanted... I d-don't understand!"

Yu hugged the sobbing Teddie while Kanji looked up at him. "Do you still think they're in the TV world, senpai?"

For a moment Yu was unsure how to respond, but he met Kanji's eyes as he replied, "Yes I do. I think our next move is to get in contact with the others to update them on the situation and see if Dojima gets a match with the blood or handprint. We should also check the weather forecast for rain. If the Midnight Channel appears, then we will know for certain that they're in there."

"Whadda we do from there? How do we get to them?" Kanji questioned.

Yu had no reply for him.

* * *

Yosuke, Yukiko, and Chie were just walking out of the resort's first-aid room when Chie's phone rang. She shared a brief look of confusion with the others because they had all expected Yu to call up Yosuke, but she answered it all the same. "Hey, Yu-kun! We have some information, but how are things on your end?"

Yukiko and Yosuke watched Chie's facial reactions and realized that something had gone wrong. "...So, you're saying that you can't get through, even though you're in Inaba _and _Teddie is with you...?" Yu's next statement caused Chie to briefly glance at Yosuke with sympathy as she exclaimed, "Kanji did _what_ in the store?!" Yosuke sensed that something was morbidly wrong, but Chie ducked when he reached for her phone in a blind panic.

She continued to run around Yukiko to avoid Yosuke as she replied, "Well, that was your only option at the time, so I'm sure he'll understand... Anyway, what would you like us to do? ...Okay, got it. Yeah, the trail has gone cold on our end. As far as we know, there was a strange blonde girl sneaking around the condo before they vanished, and after they disappeared she was taken to first-aid with a broken nose. She refused to give resort employees her name and she took off before they got the police there to question her, so she's likely the suspect for this... No. We couldn't get access to surveillance or anything because the police have already taken control of who is authorized to see the evidence. I think we've done everything we can here, and I bet that girl is long gone."

Yosuke fell into an exhausted heap on the ground, giving up the chase to Chie, who wasn't even breathing hard. She nodded as she voiced her understanding, then promptly hung up the phone. Her gaze met Yukiko's as she said, " He wants us all back in Inaba. They... they can't get into the TV world, and Teddie said that something is blocking the way in. We can't do anything else from here with the trail going cold, so I agree that we need to go home and regroup."

Yukiko nodded, but Yosuke stood up in a huff. "Wait, what did Yu say about Kanji in the store? What did he _do_?!" Chie didn't reply as the two girls took off to grab their bags from the condo, and Yosuke followed as he darkly murmured, "Why do I get the feeling that I'm gonna owe a lotta money when we get back...?"

* * *

It was slow going for the two girls after the detective had roused back to consciousness, her wounds too painful for her to move very fast. They had to stay on high alert, so there wasn't much talking between them as they walked along the road leading down from the mountain resort. Naoto faintly wondered how much of this world would resemble the resort and the area around it because it felt like they had been walking the same stretch of road for hours. Though, it was impossible to actually discern the passage of time when everything was always swathed in the red hues of twilight.

The short girl felt her knees buckle again, so she allowed herself a quick rest and stopped in her tracks. "Rise-san, would you mind...?" The brunette was already on the detective's wavelength and clasped her hands together as she called Himiko forth. While Rise swept the area, Naoto collapsed to the ground to regain some of her strength. Despite her efforts, several dark thoughts clouded her head as she looked up at Rise in silence.

Naoto couldn't allow herself to be knocked out again, because she was the only one present with a Persona that could fight. She had to protect Rise no matter what; she felt like that all the way to her very core, but her next questioning thought sent her emotions into a tumble. _Why?_ Why did she _feel_ like she had to protect Rise? The desire cut deeper beyond just keeping her friend safe or protecting a client during a job, down to a level of Naoto that terrified her. It was becoming more difficult for her to rationalize her feelings on the level of mere friendship, but she outright refused to consider anything more beyond that. They were _both girls_, after all...

The small detective shook her head, banishing away any other strange thoughts as Rise said, "Well, there's still nothing around us..." The way she trailed off caused Naoto's entire focus to shift to her as she went on, "...but it looks like this world has gotten bigger or something..." Himiko faded away to reveal the idol's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Bigger?" Naoto restated, and Rise let out a sharp breath.

"It's hard to explain... It's like the world is twisting in on itself and contorting out of shape... Teddie's exit TV keeps switching positions. The more we walk towards it, the farther it gets..."

The detective released a heavy breath while her mind shot through several ideas. "I guess simply walking there isn't enough for us. If we could figure out who the foundation is for this world's creation this time around, we might be able to unravel it enough to get out of here." Naoto could see that her verbal pondering confused Rise even more, so the smaller girl sought a way to explain, "During the serial murder case, this world took its form based on the influence of the victims who were thrown in here. If we can understand the nature of the person that is influencing this place now, we should be able to get a clear path to the exit."

Rise's eyes lit up with her understanding, and she took a seat beside Naoto as she said, "The world keeps twisting, so whoever is influencing it probably has some big conflict that they can't overcome."

A sincere smile touched Naoto's lips while she replied, "Exactly. And that conflict is obviously stirring up a lot of emotional turmoil for whoever is bearing it!"

Rise's honey brown eyes met Naoto's blue gaze, and what the detective saw there startled her. Rise was looking at her with absolute clarity, as if the brunette was reading into Naoto's trembling heart and knew every single doubt that cut through it. When Rise spoke, Naoto wanted to shut out her words, "Naoto-kun... What's troubling you right now? What fears are you trying to lock away in your heart?"

She couldn't bear to hold Rise's steady gaze any longer and she hastily shot to her feet. "I-I don't know what you mean! Nothing is wrong with me!" The idol stood up as well and tried to reach for her, but Naoto pulled back and shouted, "_Nothing is wrong with me!_"

A loud roar tore the silence that followed the detective's words, and the two girls turned to see the road ahead of them twisting into impossible formations. When the roar sounded again, the fabric of the world ripped apart from the mountain road and formed into buildings with strong European architecture. The world became still after several dizzying spirals, and what lay ahead of them consisted of cobblestone streets, tall buildings pressing against one another, and a tell-tale toll of an iconic clock tower.

Naoto drew her gun, subconsciously thankful for the distraction, and ran headlong into the recreation of London. The brunette bit her lower lip before she followed the shorter girl's trail, waiting for Naoto to pause against a building so she could grab the girl's arm. "_Wait!_" Rise hissed when blue eyes turned to glare at her. "Let me scan it! At least let me do that much for you!" Rise knew that tears were streaming from her eyes, but she didn't care at that moment.

When Naoto nodded that she would wait, Rise struggled to calm her nerves enough to focus on her inner strength. Himiko heeded her with little effort, and Rise quickly scanned the nearby buildings. Power was manifesting itself in front of a theatre, and the brunette gave a start when she recognized it. She had made an appearance there during her European tour, where she had held a small role during an opening act for a famous play. It was also the same place where Rise thought Naoto was about to open her heart to her, but ended up putting more emotional distance between the two instead.

All of that helped to confirm Rise's earlier suspicion: this world was taking shape from Naoto.

For the moment, that would all have to wait, and the idol focused solely on the gathering power as it formed. A staggeringly tall knight was born from the gathering darkness, covered head-to-toe in contorted obsidian armor. It brandished an impossibly long sword, which it used to cleave the theatre right down the center, destroying the location where Naoto had almost bared her heart.

"_Rise-san_! What's going on?" Naoto asked, tearing the idol away from thoughts on the symbolism of it all.

Again she tightened her focus as she replied, "One Shadow, very large mass. Covered in repelling armor and wielding a giant sword. I'm still pinpointing its weakness..." Another roar sounded from the monster, shaking the buildings around it and the two girls violently. It took one step forward, then another, bringing the Shadow dangerously close to where the two girls were hidden. Rise knew she was running out of time and her search grew more frantic when she heard Naoto whisper her Persona's name.

Just when Rise was on the cusp of completing the scan, the buildings around her collapsed under the blow of the Shadow Knight's sword. Her Persona instantly drew both her and Naoto into her arms as she bent over to shield the two from the falling rubble, Rise screaming in fear despite herself. Through her Persona she felt the force of the crumbling buildings as they landed on Himiko, catching Rise's breath short from the sharp pain.

When everything became still, Himiko stood straight and swept out with a hand to clear a path for Naoto. The detective darted away from the location once the path opened up, her Persona easily escaping the rubble with his lighting speed and already drawing the Shadow Knight away from Rise. The brunette only caught a glimpse of Naoto's back before the visor covered her line of sight. She bit her lip and restarted the scan of the armored monster. It had to have a weak point!

It had to... or they weren't going to survive.

* * *

By late evening, the Dojima residence was more lively than it had been in weeks. Yukiko, Chie, Yosuke, Teddie, and Kanji all sat around the table while they threw various ideas back and forth about why they couldn't get into the TV world (still no one would give Yosuke a clear answer about what had exactly taken place at Junes earlier). Yu and Nanako stood side-by-side in the kitchen, cooking up a late night dinner for everyone gathered in the noisy house. Dojima still had not returned from his office. He had taken Yu's evidence with him to work that day, but there had been no word from him yet about the findings, if there were any.

Once Yu and Nanako approached the table with home cooked curry, Yosuke was demanding to know how Kanji had injured his knuckles and the aggressive blonde was hollering back that he had tripped. "Tripped?! You trip and end up with injuries on the _back _of your hand?! How'd you manage that, did you flip through the air somehow and land on your head?" Yosuke said. Yu cut in with steaming plates of food, silencing the matter for the time being. He subtly caught Kanji's eye and gave a nod in thanks. He wanted to be the one to break the news to Yosuke, since it was his decision to charge Yosuke for the cost of the TVs that Kanji had destroyed. His stomach lurched for a moment when he again thought of that dreaded conversation ahead of him.

_Another time..._ Yu thought darkly as he beamed across the table in Yosuke's direction. While food was served out, Yu met Chie's eyes and waited for silence to fall across the table before he spoke, "So you couldn't find a name, but we know that we're looking for a blonde girl with a busted up nose, right?"

Chie nodded and said, "Yeah. I'd say whoever hit her did a real number on her, judging from all that blood left behind. Shouldn't be too hard to track down a blonde girl with a bandaged face."

"I bet it was Nao-chan who did it! She may seem cool and calm on the outside, but if you work her up she turns into a real spitfire~!" Teddie commented with a huge knowing grin.

"And how the hell would ya know that, Ted?!" Kanji barked at the smaller boy, glaring daggers.

Teddie, as always, was unaffected by Kanji's aggression as he happily replied, "Oh, all you gotta do is bring up her bust size-!" His words were cut short as Kanji launched himself over the table at him, sending food and dishes flying in all directions.

A long line of swearing followed until Kanji sheepishly started to clean up, pulling on Teddie's ear until he joined in with the cleaning. Yu glanced at Nanako, a little worried about the wasted food and colorful language, but the young girl was laughing alongside Yukiko.

Yosuke and Chie leaned on the table towards Yu until he met their eyes, and Yosuke asked the question that had been plaguing everyone, "So... what do we do about getting into the TV?"

Heavy silence followed his words, and Yu had to stand up and walk away. He approached a window and peered out into the cloudy night, his heart heavy with uncertainty. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, but honestly he had no ideas. Rain softly started to spatter against the window, and finally Yu said, "I... I don't know. But I do believe that we should check for the Midnight Channel. If it comes on tonight, it might give us clues on getting in, or maybe even lift whatever is blocking us..."

Even he could hear the doubt in his voice, but someone behind him resolutely said, "Labby-chan!" Yu turned in surprise to bright blue eyes. Teddie nodded enthusiastically at Yu's blank expression and explained his reasoning, "Call up Labby-chan! She works with those freaks like the half-naked caped guy and the gorgeous but cold Mit-chan, and they know a lot more about this stuff than we do! They might be able to help us!"

Kanji roughly rubbed Teddie's blonde head as he said, "Wow, Ted, that's actually a good idea!"

All around the room, the others nodded and voiced their admiration for Teddie's suggestion. Yu couldn't stop the smile that broke across his face, "Yeah, that's absolutely brilliant! I know they won't hesitate to help out good friends like us! I'll try giving Labrys-chan a call right now, I still have her contact information..." He pulled out his cell phone and searched for Labrys while Nanako clapped her hands.

"Oh, looks like things will be okay now!" she said before a yawn escaped her.

Yu met Chie's eyes and she gave an understanding nod. She got to her feet and nudged Yukiko as she said, "Hey, Nana-chan, would you like it if me and Yukiko tuck you in to bed tonight?"

The young girl frowned and said, "Aww, but I wanted to stay up with everyone and see this Midnight Channel thing for myself! Everyone's always so secretive about it-"

Yukiko herded her away as she loudly said, "Nope, no, it's actually really boring, Nana-chan! You don't want to miss sleep for something lame like that, do you? Come along now..." The three disappeared down a hallway just as Yu's call was answered.

A familiar voice with a thick accent chimed up from the other end of the receiver and said, "Why, if it ain't Yu-kun! How's it goin'?"

The grey eyed boy felt an odd sense of relief at the sound of the living weapon's voice, and he smiled as he replied, "It's great to hear you, Labrys-chan, but I'm not calling for small talk. We're in trouble, and we think that you and your team can help..."

Episode 2 End~


	3. Episode 3: Chaos Theory

Episode 3: Chaos Theory

Naoto rolled into the shadows of another building, one hand on her gun and the other pressing against the gashes in her side. She was breathing heavily and struggling to think of a way to bring the armored monster down. Bullets proved useless because they just glanced off of the obsidian armor, but occasionally Naoto would fire at the Shadow anyway to keep its attention. If she relented and it turned on Rise, there would be no hope to stop it.

The brunette idol was still in the middle of scanning the giant monster, so Naoto had to buy more time. Her Persona Sukuna-Hikona was a constant blur of motion, zipping all around the Shadow Knight and slashing at its armor, but he was as effective as a fly against a grizzly bear. The monster decimated entire blocks with almost every sword swing, and Naoto was quickly running out of places to hide.

Just as Naoto glanced back in the direction that Rise was hiding, the idol's voice softly sounded in the detective's head, "Try to target the base of the blade and break the sword from its grip. Without the sword, the armor will lose the repelling ability and you'll be able to make contact. Then hit it with everything you've got and bring it down!"

_Easier said than done_, Naoto thought heavily, her blue eyes scoping out the Shadow Knight to watch the pattern of its swings. There! She noticed an opening when the monster started to raise the sword for a cleaving blow, and Sukuna-Hikona swiftly struck. He focused his efforts at a critical moment and unleashed a punishing blow near the hilt of the giant blade just as the Shadow started to swing it down. It made perfect contact, launching the sword into the air and right out of the armored knight's hands.

"_NOW!_" Rise screamed out, both verbally as well as directly into Naoto's head. The smaller girl stepped out from behind the wall, strong energy building around her. She held out her bloodstained hand as her eyes narrowed, and a moment later she released the pent-up energy. It escaped her in the form of absolute darkness and roared towards the Shadow to completely envelope it. A hellish shriek sounded as the darkness devoured the knight, easily ending its existence with just one deadly attack, but it lashed out one last time before it was destroyed.

The monster's parting blow connected with Naoto's Persona and both detective and Persona flew through the air. They hit the ground with brutal force, knocking the small girl out for a second or two and weakening Sukuna-Hikona into vanishing. Rise sprinted over the rubble to get to the fallen girl and dropped to her knees at Naoto's side.

Naoto stirred and sharply gasped when she attempted to sit up. The brunette leaned over to see that the bandages covering the detective's wounds from the previous fight were drenched in fresh blood, and she swore loudly, "Shit, it looks like those cuts opened again… You need to be stitched up, Naoto-kun!"

"Wi-with what? I do not possess anything even close to a needle and thread… Just apply more bandages," Naoto wheezed in reply.

"But that's not good enough! You'll bleed out at this rate!"

"What choice do we have, Rise? We have to make do with what is available to us now. I realize that it is not a lot, but it's all that we can do."

Rise had felt her heart miss a step when Naoto spoke her name without any formalities, but the idol pushed the thought aside for the moment and held out her hand for the diminishing first-aid supplies. The detective handed them over before she forced herself to sit up. It took every ounce of willpower that Naoto had to keep from screaming out in pain, but it was manageable when she held still. Her gaze met Rise's honey brown eyes, and for a second a deeper communication passed between them. Then Naoto dropped her eyes to stare at her blood covered hands.

After a quiet moment, Rise rolled her eyes and said, "Well…?"

"Well, what?" Naoto questioned.

The idol replied, "You gotta take that jacket off so I can get to those wounds… or I can just take it off for you like I did before."

A rapid blush struck Naoto's cheeks, but she shuffled into motion as she said, "No, I can get it! It just slipped my mind…" As much as she wanted to stop blushing, Naoto couldn't control the red rising in her cheeks. She avoided eye contact while she pulled the tattered jacket off, but her fingers were trembling too much to undo the small buttons of her shirt underneath. The idol watched her struggle for a few moments until Naoto admitted defeat and lowered her hands, then Rise delicately started on the task.

For Rise, it felt much different to undress Naoto while the detective was awake and the brunette's cheeks flushed in response. She didn't say anything, but Naoto looked up and was surprised to see Rise blushing. _She's embarrassed? Why?_ Before Naoto could stop herself, she murmured, "You're blushing. Why?"

Rise met her eyes with a sheepish smile as Naoto shrugged free from the shirt and sincerely answered, "Undressing you when you're unconscious is much different than doing it when you're watching me." She unrolled a length of bandage and carefully started to wrap it around Naoto's torso over the old bandages and a fresh application of gauze.

"But why does it matter? We're both girls…" Naoto wondered.

Realization struck the idol full force and she smiled to herself before she answered, "It matters only because of my feelings, Naoto-kun. To me, boy or girl doesn't make a difference. All that's important is what I feel in here…" She gently touched her chest, over her heart, but Naoto looked away in shame.

"You are very audacious, Rise-san, to be able to overcome the morality standards of society in such a way… You make it look so easy to follow the whims of your heart," the detective whispered.

"It's not easy, not at all," Rise said as she sat back, making sure the bandages were secure around Naoto.

Blue eyes met her gaze as Naoto asked, "How do you do it, then?"

A warm smile lit up the brunette's face and she said, "With the love and support of others, like our friends. It will probably always be hard, but we don't have to go through it alone. Naoto…" She gently grasped one of the detective's hands before she asked, "What's on your mind? Honestly?"

Naoto bit her lower lip. A flood of clashing emotions surged through her, feelings that she had experienced before. It was the same as when the two girls were in London, when Naoto almost let her heart get the best of her. There were so many things she wanted to say to Rise back then, things that she _still_ wanted to say now, but the words seized up in the back of her throat. She slowly drew her hand away from the idol's tender hold as she muttered, "Nothing…"

She heard Rise sigh deeply, but the brunette replied, "That's okay, but I want you to know that I will happily listen to you when you do wanna talk." At that Rise stood and quickly turned away to hide her watery eyes.

* * *

It was oddly quiet in the living room, despite how full it was. All eyes were fixated on the blank TV screen and everyone was on the edge of their seats. If the Midnight Channel appeared, then they would know that the two girls were indeed in the TV and alive, but if it didn't come on… No one wanted to think about what that could mean. Rain softly drummed in the silence and served as a reminder for why the investigation team waited and stared anxiously at an off TV set.

"Almost time~…" Teddie murmured, his voice jolting a couple of people in surprise. Kanji lightly smacked the back of his head, but before Teddie could whine, the TV flickered to life. A dramatic piano interlude started up as a street in London filled the screen, and a title faded in.

"The Dramatic Days of Young Lives?" Chie read aloud with skepticism filling her voice, but Yukiko shushed her. The scene shifted to the inside of an acting theatre where Rise and Naoto were in the middle of a heated conversation.

"Please, Rise, I'm begging you! Don't go back to him, he'll just end up hurting you again!" the TV Naoto pleaded.

TV Rise turned to her with tears in her eyes as she screamed, "Why do you care? You're hardly around because all you do is work, work, work! The only reason you came to my show tonight was for your _job_, not me! He might hit me sometimes, Naoto, but at least he's _there!_"

Yosuke let out a groan as he muttered, "Man, I hate sappy shows like this-"

"Shut the hell up!" Kanji growled, trying to hear TV Naoto's reply as she stepped closer to TV Rise and clasped her hand.

"I only work this much for you, Rise! So I can provide all the things that you deserve and more!"

TV Rise pulled free of TV Naoto's hold and turned away. "Money can only provide things. That doesn't prove to me that you care! That you _really _care about me!" She covered her sorrowful face with her hands, but behind her TV Naoto lowered her head.

"I do care," she whispered, her voice too low for TV Rise to hear. The brunette turned to face the detective just as TV Naoto said, "Rise, I do care! I… I love you!"

TV Rise's face lit up with a tender smile and she ran to embrace TV Naoto. Their gazes met and they started to lean close for a kiss, but the picture faded out into darkness and the TV was silent again.

For a long time after, there was quiet, then Yosuke said, "So… Uh, what the hell does that mean?"

Chie rolled her eyes, but Kanji beat her to a reply, "What are ya, some kinda moron?! They love each other, but there's still a lotta crap in between them so they can't get close! Anyone can see that…"

Yosuke crossed his arms as he said, "Not surprising that you understand it, but guys like me and Yu? We don't have time to waste tryin' to figure it out, right partner?"

Yu turned to Kanji and said, "Seems to me that Naoto-kun has a hard time expressing her love in a way that Rise-chan understands."

"Yeah! She tried to show it by workin' hard and buyin' expensive shit, 'cause she don't know a better way!" Kanji energetically replied.

Yosuke's face hit the table and he muttered, "Betrayed by my own partner!" Laughter followed this statement.

When it became quiet, Chie somberly said, "At least we know they're both alive. Now we gotta get to them somehow."

Everyone silently nodded in agreement and Teddie chimed in, "And with Labby-chan's help, I know we can do it!"

This lifted everyone's spirits again and reignited the lively conversation. "Was anyone else surprised by what the Midnight Channel showed? Naoto-kun and Rise-chan together like that?" Yukiko asked.

Chie thoughtfully rubbed her chin as she said, "Actually, yeah. I was so sure that Rise-chan had it for our fearless leader here… Do you think the TV was expressing the thoughts of both girls or just one?"

Yosuke lifted his head as he said, "That's a good question, but it's hard to tell from what we saw. If I had to guess one though, I'd say that it would be Naoto-kun who would have a crush like that. I'm still sold that Rise-chan is interested in Yu more."

All eyes turned to Yu, but he shrugged in reply, "Rise-chan hasn't said anything to me about it."

"You idiot! Girls typically don't just approach someone and declare their love! We try to be more subtle about it," Chie said.

Yosuke huffed and retorted, "Come on! Guys don't understand subtlety! We prefer the direct approach!"

The short haired girl rolled her eyes as she responded, "And that's why you never get dates, Yosuke! I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you, I seriously doubt anyone is gonna confess their love for you directly."

Teddie shot to his feet and held out a hand to Yosuke as he shouted, "Oh, Yosuke-kun! I've wanted to tell you this for a while now, but I'm bear-y much in love with you~! How's about a kiss, ya hunk!?" The shorter boy launched himself lips first at Yosuke, who yelped and scrambled to get away.

"No, I take it back! I totally dig the subtle thing! Help me!" he cried as Teddie landed on him and dragged him to the floor.

The blonde giggled and patted Yosuke's head as he said, "Aww, calm down! You're not my type of guy, anyway."

"Oooh, ouch! Rejected by girls and even Teddie! Looks like you're gonna be single for the rest of your life," Chie chided. Yosuke groaned and rubbed his face. Why did things always go wrong for him?

Yu glanced at Kanji and could see that something was on the blonde boy's mind. Kanji blushed slightly as he asked, "So, uh, do ya guys really think that Naoto feels that way? For Rise-chan?"

A collective, "Hmm…" sounded around the room.

"It's hard to say. Naoto-kun is really good at keeping the truths of her heart to herself," Yu said.

Yukiko leaned an elbow on the table as she put in, "Now that you mention it, she doesn't really talk about her feelings openly. Is it because she doesn't trust us?"

"No way! That's just how Naoto-kun is. I think we would all be worried if she started to bring up that kind of stuff, anyway," Chie replied while waving a hand.

"Mm, that is true. But I am worried about her and Rise-chan right now… I wonder how they're doing in there…" Yukiko trailed off with her eyes on the TV. Everyone else turned to look at it as well, and that heavy tension once more filled the room.

It was unanimously agreed afterward that sleep was the best option. The group dispersed into a few rooms for the night, but sleep did not come easily. Yu lay awake for a long time, wondering if Dojima had found anything yet and when Labrys would make it back to Inaba with the other Shadow Operative members that they called friends.

* * *

The veteran cop sighed again. He stood at the front door of his home, but he found it surprisingly difficult to actually open it and step inside. Glancing up at the early morning sky, he let another heavy sigh out and reached for the door handle. Dojima wasn't looking forward to announcing his findings to Yu, or rather the lack thereof, but hesitating wasn't going to make the job easier.

Inside, the house was relatively quiet aside from the occasional loud snore from Teddie in the living room, so the older man tiptoed into the kitchen. There he found Nanako and Yu, the two working on what looked like a monster-sized feast of omelets. "Oh, good morning, Dad~!" Nanako whispered brightly, her words causing Yu to turn and meet Dojima's eyes.

The boy could already see the truth from Dojima's expression, but he smiled and motioned towards the table. "If you don't mind waiting a moment, I'll bring you a plate. Looks like you had a long night, too," Yu said. Dojima nodded while stepping away, grateful that Yu could already figure out that the evidence review yielded nothing.

When Yu approached a few minutes later, the older man offered an apologetic smile. "I ran the DNA sample through the system, but it didn't match any records on file. The handprint couldn't be seen well enough to identify key features… I'm sorry."

Yu sat at the table beside Dojima and replied, "That's okay, it was a long stretch anyway."

He started to eat, and Dojima quirked an eyebrow. "It seems like you have a backup plan," the older man pointed out.

Yu gave a nod and said, "I called in some friends who have… unique abilities. Abilities that can help us unravel this mystery. They should be here sometime today."

Dojima sat back in thought, studying Yu while the grey eyed boy ate. _Very mature and responsible for his age… Anyone would be lucky to call him friend._ He smiled to himself at this thought, and Nanako paused on her way past the table to say, "You might want to eat while it's still peaceful. I'm about to go wake up Teddie-"

Dojima urged Nanako to sit beside him as he hastily said, "Wait a few minutes and give a guy a chance to eat first!" The young girl giggled behind her hands.

It wasn't too long after Dojima went to bed before everyone else visiting the Dojima residence was awake. The close group of friends shared the hearty breakfast while exchanging friendly jabs at each other (mostly Chie, Yosuke, and Kanji), and by the time that Kanji and Yosuke were washing up the dishes, a knock sounded on the front door. Nanako moved to answer it, but Yu stood and motioned for her to wait as he walked by.

He pulled open the door and was immediately plucked from the ground into a strong embrace. "Yu-kun! Boy, is it great ta see ya again!" Labrys exclaimed while still holding Yu up. He gasped in an attempt to breathe and Labrys dropped him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry 'bout that. Mind if we come in?" Yu caught his breath and managed a grin. He stepped aside and watched as Labrys came inside, followed by Mitsuru and Fuuka.

The noise level within the house jumped several decibels when Labrys entered the living room and she was quickly surrounded by friends that she hadn't spoken to for quite some time. While she got reacquainted, the red headed woman approached Yu with Fuuka at her side. Already it was apparent that Mitsuru had information to share with the boy, so the three stepped into a slightly quieter hallway. "I know that everyone here is concerned for the safety of Kujikawa-san and Shirogane-san, so I wanted to start by telling you that they are both still alive."

Mitsuru nodded towards Fuuka, and the small girl said, "I ran a scan and picked up on their signals within the TV world, but… I can't establish a communication link with them. Let's gather everyone so I can explain what we know so far."

Yu nodded, a small sense of relief washing over him as he led the two women to the living room. At the sight of the three, the room fell quiet and all attention turned to Mitsuru. She took the chance to speak up first, and she began by reiterating that Naoto and Rise were still okay. Murmurs of relief passed through the group, and Fuuka stepped forward when they quieted down.

"So far I have been unsuccessful with my attempts of reaching them to establish a communication line, and that is due to some unnatural interference… But it is not all bad news. I traced the path from the interference to its source and discovered that the origin is a Persona user, one that we haven't come across before. We suspect it to be the girl who put your friends in there-"

Kanji shot to his feet as he yelled, "Didja find out who? Who is it?! I swear I'm gonna break her neck…" Chie roughly yanked the furious boy back down to the floor and glared at him until he fell quiet again and Fuuka could go on.

"It hasn't been easy to learn that information yet, because if I probe too much it will alert the suspect. I do know that the person is currently here in Inaba." A collective gasp followed these words, and Fuuka nodded solemnly. "From what I can tell, the suspect's Persona has some unique abilities that have not been documented before, with the most obvious being the fact that you cannot enter the TV world."

Teddie snapped his fingers loudly as he said, "I _knew_ it! There should be no way to keep me from going back unless someone is purposely stopping me!"

Yu thoughtfully met the eyes of Mitsuru and Fuuka as he asked, "Is it really possible for someone to have that kind of ability?"

The red haired woman crossed her arms and replied, "It would seem so, but what concerns me is the fact that this Persona user can evoke her Persona in the real world. It should be impossible for someone to do that without proper training first, which could lead to trouble."

"What do you mean by trouble?" Yukiko questioned.

Mitsuru met her gaze and said, "Imagine if more people could summon Personas in the real world at will. That kind of power in the wrong hands could lead to mass slaughters, terrible wars, and God knows what else. It would throw the natural balance off on an epic scale and there would be no way to stop it."

Her words were met with profound silence, dark thoughts clouding a lot of minds at this, but Fuuka interjected. "I believe that scenario is unlikely, but the truth is that this girl _can_ call upon her Persona in the physical world. We will have to proceed with caution."

Chie bit her lip before she spoke up, "I don't think we have a lot of time left. Naoto-kun and Rise-chan have been in the TV world for almost two days now, and the longer that they are stuck in there, the weaker they get."

Yu lightly patted her shoulder as he firmly replied, "Those two are strong, Chie. As long as they are alive, there is still time." He gave her a confident smile and could see that his words soothed her concerns a bit.

She nodded to him and he then turned his attention back to the Shadow Operatives. "Do you know anything else about this girl? Any other abilities that she might have?"

"Yes. As well as being able to shut people out of the TV world, she can also open gateways into it from any TV. That's how she was able to force them in at the resort. Her Persona is adept at manipulating the TV world, and we suspect that she can also control Shadows, but that hasn't been proven yet. Even so, it's a scenario that we must consider when we move to apprehend her," Mitsuru responded.

This information was met with worried glances between the friends. How were they supposed to fight against a Persona user who could possibly control Shadows when they couldn't summon their own Personas? Mitsuru had an answer for that, "Right now, I think it would be best to give you all a crash course on evoking your Personas in the real world. To be honest, I would prefer it if you left this matter to us, but Labrys has already pointed out that it would be heartless of me to stop you because the lives of Kujikawa-san and Shirogane-san are on the line. I agree wholeheartedly with her on that point."

The named robotic girl nodded firmly when a few pairs of eyes looked her way in silent thanks. "Me and Mitsuru here are gonna be joinin' ya for the smackdown!" Labrys said while pumping a fist through the air.

The red haired woman smiled and said, "Yes, because we consider all of you as important friends. This crime will not be tolerated and it shall not go unpunished."

* * *

Although pain and exhaustion pulled at the detective, Naoto willed her body to keep pushing forward. She knew that it would be foolish to succumb to sleep within the TV world, but when she stumbled and fell for the third time in ten minutes, Rise leaned down and urged the smaller girl to stay. When blue eyes met her gaze, the brunette smiled faintly and said, "Rest for a little while. If you keep pushing yourself like this, you won't have the strength for another battle. I'll keep watch, so please, Naoto-kun?"

The shorter girl heaved a heavy sigh of defeat and nodded. Relief filled the idol and she sat on the ground beside Naoto before laying the detective's head on her lap. For once, Naoto didn't object or question it, but she couldn't ignore the flutter of her heart from such a gesture. When Rise pulled off her hat and gently ran her fingers through short hair Naoto had to ask, "Why are you doing that?"

Rise was silent for a moment or two, but when she spoke, her words had no relation to the detective's current question, "There's really nothing going on between me and Yu-senpai… At one point, I did hold deeper feelings for him, but that's not true anymore. He's still a great guy and he's really sweet towards me, but he's not the person that my heart yearns for." She continued to tenderly caress Naoto's hair while the blue eyed girl's mind raced. Why was Rise bringing this up now? "When you were fighting that Shadow Knight, I confirmed the person that is influencing the TV world. The first building that the Shadow smashed was the theatre from the real London – the place where you almost let me into your heart, Naoto."

Their gazes met again and Naoto was surprised to see tears building in those honey brown eyes. She could see the pain in the idol's eyes as well as something else. An emotion that Naoto couldn't put into words, or perhaps one that she was afraid to define. The pensive girl had to break eye contact at that point, and when she did she felt a tremor run through Rise's body.

"Why…" the brunette softly sobbed, "…why do you keep distancing yourself from me? Is it really that repulsive to you?"

The detective's eyes shot back to Rise as Naoto asked, "Is what repulsive?"

"The idea of… of us, together?" Naoto's heart thundered harder than it ever had, but before she could formulate a response, the brunette whispered, "Just tell me what I need to do to make you happy, no matter what it is. If you want me, or if you want me away from you… I'll do it for you, Naoto. So please…"

The detective sat up abruptly to hide her expression from the idol. Whatever Naoto wanted… Did she even know what she wanted? All she could focus on were fears of rejection. It seemed impossible for the detective to accept something like that and she felt like she was already a social outcast for her desire to be male. _If I was a man, this entire situation would be completely irrelevant. It's normal for a man and a woman to be together…_ Her train of thought came to a crashing halt.

She _did_ want to be with the brunette girl, after all! It was just one more thing to add to the list of reasons for why Naoto didn't fit in with normal society. Her heart began to ache profoundly and she clutched her chest with a small gasp. "N-no…" she muttered, trying to deny those feelings even now. The more she struggled to force that desire away, the more she felt that she was losing a piece of herself.

"Naoto-" Rise started while she leaned closer to hug the detective, but the smaller girl jumped to her feet and shook her head as if that would free her from her thoughts.

Tears started to stream from her eyes and her head tilted back as she said, "I can't be in love with a girl… I don't! No! That's _not_ true!" Rise stumbled backwards as darkness pooled from Naoto's trembling body. She cried out Naoto's name, but the emotionally distraught girl couldn't hear her voice. The darkness grew thicker and the world started to morph around the two girls.

A sharp cry escaped Naoto and she fell to her knees as the world twisted itself to resemble a broken Inaba. It was the street where the Marukyu Tofu shop sat, but all of the buildings were decrepit and falling in on themselves. Naoto pressed both hands against her chest in a futile attempt to put a stop to the sensation of her heart ripping apart, while directly behind her the darkness tightened itself into the shape of a horrendous monster. Honey brown eyes widened at the sight, and Naoto gasped out, "It's not true… that's not who I am…"

Dark laughter followed her words of denial, then the detective slumped forward and slipped into unconsciousness.

_End Episode 3~_


	4. Episode 4: Just Keep Breathing

Episode 4: Just Keep Breathing

Mitsuru quietly mused to herself while she paced back and forth in front of the investigation team. She studied each Persona user in turn, then she moved to stand before all of them. The red haired woman thought about her next words before she said, "Well, one morning of training typically wouldn't be sufficient, but I'm guessing that all of those fights you've experienced inside of the TV helped you to evoke your inner powers in the real world… We're ready."

She gave a nod, which was followed by a few cheers. "Good. I don't want to leave Naoto-kun and Rise-chan in the TV any longer. Where is the suspect at now?" Yu asked while his grey eyes glanced to Fuuka.

The girl met Mitsuru's gaze, and when the Kurijo woman nodded, Fuuka replied, "She's at the junkyard right now and she's been stationary for the past few hours. Seems like she's waiting for something."

"Or someone… Let's go give her a real Inaba greeting," Chie stated while cracking her knuckles. A murmur of agreement passed through the group following Chie's words, and they started to climb the slope of the Samegawa Floodplain to where Mitsuru's ridiculously long limo waited. It had been a rough morning for the friends, but they all agreed that it was worth the effort.

Now was the time to put their skills to the test.

Once they all piled into the spacious limo, it would be a relatively short ride to the junkyard, and to the waiting suspect.

* * *

The detective wasn't out for long before someone roughly kicked her injured side and drove her awake with excruciating pain. Naoto's eyes snapped open and she shrieked from the cruel blow that sent her tumbling onto her back. Her world reeled sickly around until Rise's strangled voice cried, "Naoto!" Details slowly filled her vision and the first thing she saw was Rise kneeling on the ground. She was being forced to stay on her knees by someone roughly holding her down by her long hair. The idol growled with animalistic fury and she was rewarded with a vicious yank that strained her neck and made her gasp.

This nasty gesture drew Naoto's gaze to the face of the assaulter and her heart froze in terror. A familiar face wearing a matching hat and with blazing golden eyes smirked right back at her. _M-My Shadow? Impossible…_ Even as she thought it, she already knew it was a feeble denial.

Naoto's Shadow chuckled darkly and pulled on Rise's hair again while speaking in the detective's voice, "Did you miss me?"

Adrenaline surged through the small girl's veins and helped her to rise to her feet in spite of her body's pain. A rib or two grinded oddly with her motions, but it was a detail that held little weight in Naoto's mind at that moment. Just as she started to reach for her gun, her Shadow loudly tisked her. Naoto's Shadow already held a mirror copy of her gun in hand, and the muzzle of the barrel was pressed tightly against the idol's head.

"I'm fairly certain that you do not desire to see this precious girl's brains sprayed all over the street."

"Sukuna-Hikona!" Naoto cried out, in a vain attempt to combat the horrible situation she faced. She was already aware that her Persona would no longer heed her call, but it was too painful to face the truth. Her Shadow only punctuated the point by shrieking in humiliating laughter.

"Ah-hah hah hah! As intelligent as you claim to be, you still cannot fathom the truths that are right before your eyes? You delude yourself with impossible dreams and desires that you know can never come to be. Oh, how delicious it is to watch you writhing in your own bullshit!"

"_Shut up!_ Naoto, look at me! Don't listen-"

"_Filthy whore!_" Shadow Naoto viciously snapped while striking the handle of her pistol against the brunette's temple. The detective screamed as Rise grunted from the lightning fast blow, but when Naoto took a step closer, the gun's barrel pressed against the stunned idol's head again. Shadow Naoto sneered at the small girl's rage, "How much longer will you continue to believe this charade? Deep down you always knew that you're just a nasty dyke! Do you really think that this bitch would ever be interested in _you?_ She's absolutely stunning to behold…"

The Shadow's voice fell to an intimate whisper with her last statement and she leaned down to breathe against Rise's cheek. Naoto trembled violently as she was forced to watch her Shadow extend a tongue and run it along the idol's jaw line. "There's a reason that she's such a popular idol. Any dirty skank like her can make it big, so why would she ever give you the time of day? You claim to like her, to hold deep and meaningful feelings, but really you are just covering a more twisted emotion: loathing. You'll never be as attractive as Risette, and deep down in that jealous heart of yours… You hate her."

"No! I could _never_ hate her!"

Shadow Naoto howled with laughter and struck Rise brutally again before shoving her away. The detective's hand flew for her holstered weapon, but her Shadow leveled the barrel and fired first. "Keep denying me! Keep pushing the truth of your sick heart away until it poisons your soul beyond repair!" Naoto threw herself into a roll that put her out of sight, narrowly avoiding a fatal shot but paying for it when her broken ribs painfully grinded together.

The brunette girl swooned and fought the urge to vomit. By sheer determination, Rise forced the dizzy fog away enough to lift her head and say, "I-It's fine if you feel like that, Naoto! I'm still here for you and I _won't_ abandon you! Don't lose hope yet!"

The Shadow hissed with a wicked smile and cutting words, "Go on, Naoto, tell her! How you really feel! That you love her so much, you detest her! That's why you push her away! Stop trying to lie, I already know the truth of your heart because I am you!"

"_NO! I don't hate her! You know nothing of my feelings and you will never be a piece of me!_"

"Naoto, no…" Rise whispered weakly, honey brown eyes fixated on the detective's Shadow.

Darkness gravitated around Shadow Naoto's body and quickly collected as she shrilly laughed and prepared to utilize the dark energy. "Yes…! Yes! Let your rage and jealousy fuel me! Don't worry, I will soon carry out your deepest desire and destroy the precious idol who threatens your fragile heart!"

* * *

It was eerily quiet when the group of friends stepped foot into the junkyard. Not a single creature stirred. Even the bugs that usually filled the air with chirps and calls were utterly silent, leaving an unsettling calm atmosphere. Everyone was on edge as they walked between the mountains of trash and they constantly searched around for any sign of life. They all came to a stop when eerie laughter sounded from atop a stack of old TVs. All eyes darted up to the smug expression of a blonde haired girl with a large bandage across the bridge of her nose, and one pair of eyes widened with recognition.

When the girl's insane green gaze locked with Yu's, her expression contorted into a mix of hate and admiration. He uttered her name, to everyone's surprise, "Shizu?" Her eyes hardened.

"So you do still remember me after all these years! I'd be lying if I said I'm not surprised… But do you remember that day? On the playground, right before I moved away? 'Cause I sure do." The blonde's voice was filled with anger and a tragic sense of loss as she spoke to the grey eyed boy.

He was silent in reply, which told the unstable girl that he remembered nothing else, and raw fury erupted from her. A violent tremble started to run through her body with her growing emotions and she shrieked, "It's obvious that day meant nothing to you! None of our time together did! We used to walk around, hand in hand, and called that old playground ours…"

Her voice trailed off for a moment and she bowed her head, but soon shrill laughter shook her form. She lifted her head and glared straight down at Yu as she said, "But _this_ is my playground now! _Milovsoroff!_" Immediately following her Persona's name, the group of friends took their battle stances, but overwhelming darkness enveloped them all and drew them to an entirely different world. For a moment that lasted eons, they stood in a vast abyss of nothingness, but soon the darkness melted away. Underneath, the world presented itself as a gigantic play theatre stage.

"She can create different spaces in the real world, too?! We have sorely underestimated this girl's abilities…" spoke Mitsuru.

Shizu's crazed laughter echoed from above, which drew everyone's attention upwards and onto the sight of the girl's hovering Persona. The blonde was perched on the shoulder of a looming figure that had no face. It wore a bizarre robe that was constantly shifting various colors and designs like a kaleidoscope and had four arms that were stretched out in different directions. In its four hands, Milovsoroff held giant marionette crosses where ethereal strings of light were tied and pulled taunt to disappear in the air. Even though it looked like nothing was attached, Mitsuru's warning about potential Shadow control had everyone on edge.

Shizu regarded them with pure insanity filling her green gaze. "Our final play is about to begin!" Her Persona raised one of its hands and as it moved, darkness rapidly gathered in front of the group. The friends jumped into action and Personas heeded their calls: Yu sent Izanagi alongside Labrys towards the solidifying Shadows to try to intercept their formation while Fuuka and her Persona Juno started a deep scan on Milovsoroff. Chie and Yosuke charged forward with Tomoe and Jiraiya while Kanji, Yukiko, and Teddie used their Personas and began to power up some spells.

Mitsuru focused her attention up towards Shizu and Milovsoroff, but they had cleverly veiled themselves in darkness. _Just like true master puppeteers…_ the red haired woman thought with a wry grin.

Before the group, several Shadows emerged with menacing presences, taking on the familiar shapes of huge albino lions chained to metal balls and towering faceless entities in snow white robes. The opposing forces clashed with staggering effect, sending Shadows and people flying in all directions. Chie was knocked back into the waiting arms of her Persona while Yosuke nimbly flipped over the swipe of a huge paw and landed a damaging slice against the neck of the beast.

Labrys swung her hefty axe in impossibly graceful arcs, cutting down a Phantom King with just one blow, and at her back Izanagi threw one of the monster lions into several others with impressive force. Along the edges of the growing army of Shadows, bouts of ice, lightning, and fire stemmed the flow, but more continued to form.

"How the hell are we supposta do this?" Kanji growled while running to throw himself into the melee fray.

Mitsuru approached Yu and said, "Let's try a little direct coordination, shall we? Artemisia!" Yu flashed a small grin, and soon Izanagi and Artemisia were striking and weaving through the ranks in unison.

The grey eyed boy lifted up his gleaming katana and dashed forward with a battlecry, but before he was within reach of the fight, he stepped from one fabricated world and right into another. As he vanished from sight of the others, the team was torn apart and dumped into other alternate existences, splitting their forces into much smaller numbers. Shizu's crazed laughter echoed across all of the miniature worlds she had constructed, and when Yu looked around him he recognized the settings.

He had been placed in the old playground from his hometown, where as kids he and Shizu had spent countless hours together. It had felt much bigger back then, when it had been full of the limitless possibilities and universes born from child imagination, but now it just felt hollow and small. Yu's gaze drifted to the swings to find the blonde girl on one with her head bowed and her shoes digging into the sand. He made no move towards her, but he did speak.

"I never forgot about the day you left, Shizu. The promises we made… We were kids."

Angrily she lifted her head to spit out, "So that makes it okay to break them? Just for that!? I've misjudged you, because I seriously believed that you had a noble soul and a loyal heart. I guess you're just another selfish bastard after all! But that's okay, I suspected as much when I saw photos of the girls you keep for company these days…"

Yu felt his blood run cold at those words, and his fluctuation of fear drew a sick grin from the twisted blonde on the swing. "Yes, that's right. I've kept a vigilant watch over you all these years! The Internet is truly a powerful tool… That's how I found out about the events in Inaba when you came here the first time! I hacked into the police servers and downloaded every incident report I could find. Of course I was skeptical about the whole 'put into a TV' thing like the cops, but after some forum hopping, I came across the rumors about the Midnight Channel and I just _had_ to come see for myself…"

She walked a few steps backwards while still on the swing so she could drop herself into the back and forth motions. Her wide eyes stayed on Yu's face with unnerving intensity. "I never could have imagined the raw power waiting inside of me, power that exists for just one purpose: to make you _**suffer**_. I wanted to toss the Inn girl and that other butchy-looking bitch into the TV as well, but that _cunt_ who tries to be a guy broke my nose. Made me too dizzy to finish the job, but at least I got two of them! I'm _never_ gonna lift the firewalls I put in place to keep you out and them inside!"

Cruel laughter followed, but Shizu's next words drove Yu into an absolute rage, "I've been watching those two in the TV world, and they'll be dead soon. That cross-dressing piece of shit lost control of her Persona and it reverted to a Shadow that's gonna kill both of them! I'm so pleased about the idol being a useless bitch in a real fight! Haha, even I couldn't have written a better comedic play! If you want, I can show you-"

"_Rrrrraaaaaahhh!_" Yu screamed and charged with katana raised, but the blonde girl launched herself off of the swing and vanished. In her place, a towering white golem wielding a massive sword lunged forth with the momentum of the swing jump, and Yu had to duck to keep his head. _Void Giant, nullifies everything except physical attacks_. The grey eyed boy remembered this Shadow well.

He turned in time to see the bulky Shadow smash a penguin themed slide like it was an aluminum can. It promised to be a tough fight for Yu, but not for just him alone. With the team divided, fighting would prove to be a challenge. Yu took a deep breath while calling to his inner powers, seeking out a Persona that would prove effective in a raw and physical fight. "_Atavaka!_" The newly called Persona charged forward from blinding light, eight arms brandishing various weapons all aimed for the Shadow.

The Void Giant deflected the long spear, but several blades and a hefty club all made contact and sent the white golem crashing into a replicated apartment building. From behind, Yu caught the sound of chains and turned to be faced with a wall of white Shadows, comprised of numerous Nemean Beasts, Phantom Kings, and more Void Giants.

Shizu's laughter echoed from every inch of the fabricated world and she said, "Yes, keep fighting! Fight until you grow tired, then fight some more! I can keep calling Shadows and make you fight until you _die!_"

Yu's expression hardened, but he let out a fierce cry and started to lay into the Shadows that poured towards him.

In another world, Fuuka was still intensely scanning Shizu and her Persona. She had been thrown in a mirror image of the Samegawa Floodplains with the living weapon Labrys, who was furiously cleaving through Shadows that came too close to Fuuka. All Labrys had to do was buy time for the scanning girl until Fuuka could find a way to break Shizu's created worlds, but the unstable blonde girl had placed numerous blocks around herself to mask her information. This left Fuuka in a tough position with a time-consuming job: she had to hack through the girl's firewalls to obtain the data that would enable her to deconstruct Shizu's worlds. She kept up an exhausting pace while the tireless Labrys kept her safe.

The rest of the group was split into three additional worlds: the Amagi Inn, Junes, and the shopping district in front of Tatsumi Textiles. At the inn, Chie and Yukiko faced against several hour glass Shadows as well as the menacing presence of a tall armor-clad Rain Wind Musha. Yosuke and Mitsuru fought with two of the towering samurai Shadows as well as several Nemean Beasts at Junes.

That left Kanji and Teddie tag-teaming against a few Phantom Kings and a huge Void Giant within the fake shopping district. Kanji swore loudly while punching a Phantom King, "Shit, we just walked right into a trap by comin' here! That damn bitch!"

Teddie rolled away from a sword swing while he huffed, "Less cussin' and more hittin'!"

The muscular blonde let out a furious bellow and Take-Mikazuchi rammed the stone giant into an empty store front.

At the same moment, Chie shoved Yukiko behind a wall to save her from a precisely aimed katana blade, but the short haired girl paid for it. She gasped loudly when sharp steel bit into her left shoulder down to the bone, and Yukiko screamed form the sight of Chie hurt. Chie urged her to stay behind the wall as Tomoe rushed the Rain Wind Musha and blades clashed together, which drove the Shadow away from the two girls.

The black haired girl moved to heal Chie's deep cut, but she had to divert her attention to approaching Perpetual Sands when they tried to sneak up from behind. Even though Yukiko knew that her fire would be weak against these Shadows, she still directed Konohana Sakuya to light them all up with one strong blast of flames. Fueled by her surge of emotion from Chie's wound, her fire burned strong enough to actually incinerate all of the hour glass Shadows.

Yukiko then turned to see Chie and Tomoe fly through the air from a brutal strike. The short haired girl hit a tree and slumped to the ground, and immediately the Rain Wind Musha advanced towards her motionless body. Raw fury shot through Yukiko's veins and she ran to intercept the mortal blow.

Chie looked up through a fog of pain and saw Yukiko fall to the Shadow's blade. "No… _Noo!_" She lifted her still useable right hand and focused with everything she had, then she slammed her fist into the ground. Tomoe unleashed a powerfully charged physical blow that flattened the Shadow into pools of darkness.

For the moment, the threat was nullified, so Chie dragged herself towards Yukiko's body.

At Junes, Mitsuru and Artemisia squared off stroke-for-stroke with two of the samurai Shadows. Behind her, Yosuke unleashed an unforgiving vortex of wind that tore through white lions and food court furniture. As they fought, Mitsuru maintained a communication link to Fuuka, but the reception across the fabricated worlds kept the line full of too much static for meaningful exchanges. Still, the red haired woman knew that Fuuka was hard at work and that Mitsuru needed to be ready for Fuuka's information as soon as it came.

"This girl utilizes some smart battle tactics by dividing our forces like this," the red haired woman said thoughtfully while she side-stepped to evade a swinging blade.

Yosuke huffed as he swept another Shadow away with a powerful vortex of air, "Now's really not a good time to be impressed by that nutjob! We have to find a way to get everyone back together!"

Mitsuru smiled to herself and replied, "It's being worked on as we speak. For now, just focus on what's right in front of you-!" Artemisia buried her blade all the way to the hilt through one of the Rain Wind Musha. It feebly lifted its blade to return the favor, but the last of its energy burned out and it dispersed into a black mist. Immediately after, the Persona swung her blade through the mist and into the remaining Rain Wind Musha. The Shadow was thrown backwards with the force of the blow, and Artemisia closed in to end it.

Just as Mitsuru turned to check on Yosuke, she spotted a new group of Shadows headed towards them, and she faintly thought, _Fuuka… please hurry…_

* * *

With the gathering darkness powering her, Naoto's Shadow began to change shape. Rise crawled to where the detective stood dumbfounded and managed to get back on her feet. "Naoto, we should run…" the brunette said, but the growing Shadow cut her off.

In a booming voice, the Shadow said, "Running will only prolong your life for a short time! You cannot escape this world, and I will _hunt you down_."

Naoto didn't even formulate a reply to Rise due to being in a numbing state of shock by the sight of her contorting Shadow. The monster laughed as it settled into its completed form and shook itself while slowly swinging a bloody, spiked chain. The blood flowed from the heart of the Shadow, which was tightly bound by the spiked chain and trapped in a series of cages that created the monster's torso. Spikes deeply pierced the still beating heart, and with every pump, more blood flowed along the chain. It stood around five feet taller than the girls and it watched them through a plain and undefined mask.

The Shadow began to swing the chain faster with blood splattering around, and without warning it lashed out like a whip. Naoto didn't react and so she took the full force of the punishing blow across her face. The spikes slashed open her cheek and sent her reeling, but it finally snapped her out of her stupor. She hissed with pain and clutched her cheek when she realized the blood from the Shadow burned her like a strong acid.

Her blue eyes focused on the movements of the Shadow, and just as it moved to strike Rise, Naoto shoved the brunette out of harm's way and suffered another series of burning gashes on her back. Naoto grimaced with the new pains, but she met the idol's eyes and gasped, "R-run!"

Rise angrily grabbed Naoto's shoulders and forced her to turn until Rise was in between the detective and the next brutal lash, which struck the idol's shoulder blade. She gasped, but then she said firmly, "**No.** I won't leave you. We will face the truth of your heart together, no matter how much it hurts!" Another lash tore open several burning cuts across the back of Rise's leg, but she stayed firm.

Naoto stared at her in pure astonishment, but only for a moment before she gave a single, small nod of acceptance. Rise smiled, and behind her light grew into the shape of her towering Persona. Himiko shielded them both from the next blow by the bloodied chain. The pain echoed within Rise, though it was less severe than taking the damage directly.

With Naoto safely behind her, Rise turned just as Naoto's Shadow sneered, "How long do you think you can last? Your Persona is no fighter! All you do is analyze information while everyone else does all the work! You truly are useless in a battle, dear idol, and yet you stand before me as if in a challenge! Very noble, but more pathetic than anything else."

The Shadow laughed at its own witty remarks, but Rise's expression hardened. She could feel Naoto's body trembling against her, which only gave her heart more strength and courage. No matter what it took, she was determined to prove to Naoto that she fully accepted the detective's feelings.

Even if it meant facing death.

_Episode 4 End~  
_


	5. Episode 5: Where We Are Now

Episode 5: Where We Are Now

Chie gently rolled Yukiko onto her back to check her injuries, but she only found a light gash on Yukiko's cheek. The long haired girl opened her eyes and she looked up at Chie with some surprise as she said, "Oh, wow, I thought for sure it was going to cut my head clean off!"

Chie laughed through her tears and she replied, "I think you've been watching too many action movies."

Yukiko frowned while she muttered, "Only because you make me… Oh, let me heal your cut!"

The short haired girl shook her head before a grunt of pain escaped her. "No time. More Shadows are already here." She motioned with her head to where Tomoe was struggling between three more of the samurai Shadows.

At the sight of this, Yukiko leaped to her feet while calling Konohana Sakuya to her side. She met Chie's eyes and said, "My fire can't damage them, so let me heal you before we all go in for a physical attack."

Chie nodded in agreement with the plan, and she stood still as Yukiko channeled her power. With a graceful wave of a fan, Yukiko mended Chie's wound well enough to give the short haired girl use of her arm again. The healed girl rolled her shoulder once to check it, and she grinned. "Let's do this," she said before she surged forward with Yukiko right beside her. They both unleashed fierce battlecries with their first attacks, and the ferocity of their presence drove the Shadows back. The quick reprieve allowed Tomoe a chance to rebound her energy, then they all closed in on the stunned Shadows.

In the space by the textile shop, Teddie's Persona was holding a Void Giant firmly in place while Kanji and Take-Mikazuchi took turns pummeling the Shadow with their fists. Yosuke and Mitsuru were balancing between the groups of Shadows they faced with deadly precision, while Labrys continued to effortlessly cut down the hoards that tried to get to Fuuka and Juno. The living weapon was focused on executing her task, but it didn't seem to put much strain on her because she still had not needed to call Ariadne to her aid.

Shizu grew more agitated.

Even Yu seemed just fine as he switched between endless lists of Personas that eradicated the constant waves of Shadows that Shizu threw at him. The unstable girl realized that her time was running out, so she set the next act of her final play into motion. Though it was risky for her, she searched deep within the TV world and called out only five Shadows. Their combined power was immense, so she absorbed every other Shadow she had summoned before and siphoned their dark energy for the new task.

For a moment, the group of friends all felt confused when the monsters that they were fighting disappeared, but Fuuka sensed the danger as well as the opportunity. She bullrushed through several of Shizu's weakening defenses, but the insane girl still carefully guarded the data about the miniature worlds she had constructed. Even so, Shizu had made a mistake, and that hidden data was at last within Fuuka's reach.

The worlds all vibrated with the gathering energy, and heavy darkness began to build. It took the shape of a tall entity covered in bandages with a large trenchcoat and wielding dual long-barrel revolvers. The five Reapers all stood straight in unison across the worlds, and the group collectively swore out loud.

"Uhh, Fuuka-san? Ya might wanna pick up the pace a bit… I got a funny feelin' that this Shadow ain't no pushover," Labrys said while calling her Persona to her side. Fuuka didn't reply, but she understood the urgency of the situation.

The sound of rattling chains echoed across the worlds along with Shizu's shrill laughter. "I hate to drop the final curtain so soon, but every masterpiece must reach its brilliant conclusion. I do hope you all have enjoyed my little play, but before the last act begins, I just want to show you a sneak peek of another beautiful ending…"

The skies above everyone flickered in and out until they revealed the sight of Naoto and Rise locked within their own battle. Some of the friends gasped in horror while others screamed in fury at the sight of the blood covered girls, Naoto's terrible injuries very obvious for everyone to see. Her small form huddled against Rise while the idol stood behind her flickering Persona. Himiko was stoic like a fortress against the onslaught of lashes from Shadow Naoto's spiked chain, but she wouldn't last much longer.

Just as Naoto collapsed and Rise fell down to one knee to hold the detective, the Reapers advanced. The friends all used the energy of their rage and disgust to fuel their attacks as they moved to strike first blows. Shizu growled with anger, but soon started to laugh uncontrollably when the blows yielded little damage to the Shadows. The Reapers lifted their revolvers and took aim, sending people and Personas diving for cover.

"Come on, Fuuka!" Mitsuru gasped while hiding behind a low-rise wall.

As if Mitsuru was heard, Fuuka's voice weakly spoke in her mind, "Finally! I've almost got the data I need, so just hold on for a bit longer!"

Before Mitsuru could reply, the wall around her exploded from the force of the Reaper's gun. The Shadow knew where she was hiding. She anticipated the final shot to immediately follow, but instead she heard Yosuke let out a loud shout. The red haired woman peeked over the rubble and saw the boy and Jiraiya charge towards the Reaper. Her eyes narrowed and she stood to guide Artemisia to follow her around the distracted Shadow. Once Mitsuru was behind the Reaper, she advanced with her Persona for a sneak attack while Yosuke struck at the same time. All of their blows connected, but again they hardly phased the monstrous Shadow.

The rest of the group faced similar circumstances; even Labrys failed to deliver any substantial damage to the Reaper she fought. One of those long barrels aimed at Fuuka's head, leaving Labrys with little choice except to use herself as a shield for the oncoming projectile. If Fuuka went down, there would be no chance to turn things around.

The blast from the Reaper's gun hit Labrys dead-on, but the living weapon had dug her axe into the ground to help her stay rooted to the spot. The second shot pushed her back, and the third sent her tumbling without her axe. Ariadne quickly scooped her up and set her back on her feet, but Labrys had sustained massive damage. She slowly approached her still embedded axe and reaffirmed her shield position while Ariadne rushed the Reaper to divert the gunshots.

At the Amagi Inn, Chie and Yukiko resorted to hiding within the labyrinth of the hotel while Tomoe and Konohana Sakuya kept the Shadow on the move, as far away from the girls as possible. Teddie and Kanji took turns with laying their attacks on the Reaper, while simultaneously moving to avoid the gunshots. Yu faced his Reaper head-on as he cycled through several powerful Personas to help boost his own strength while weakening the Shadow.

This cycle would have been almost sufficient, but the Reapers soon switched tactics. They began to unleash magic without mercy, utilizing spells that would target the specific weaknesses of the Persona users. The new tactics sent people running for their lives and had Shizu laughing with glee.

All except for Yu.

He remained locked in battle, casually switching Personas with every spell the Reaper let loose so the power that was meant to harm him either glanced off, or made him stronger. When Shizu saw this, she became furious. It was that moment when Fuuka cracked the crazed girl's final line of defense, and at last she had the data she needed.

Labrys reattached her axe to her back and plucked the girl up into her arms to dash away from the line of fire. Fuuka initiated the sequence that shattered Shizu's constructed worlds while also throwing the Reapers back to their original location in the TV world, at Shizu's energy expense.

The blonde girl screamed incomprehensibly as it all fell apart around her and she was drained of most of her power. The false realities dissolved around everyone to reveal the junkyard again, Shizu still perched on top of a pile of old TVs like before. She hissed with rage and jumped onto the waiting shoulder of Milovsoroff to make an escape, but a powerful blast of lighting brought them both crashing down to the ground.

Izanagi pinned Milovsoroff with his blade while Yu roughly hauled the girl up to look her eye-to-eye. "Let them out. _Now_," he said, but Shizu only laughed in his face.

"Never! Never, never, never, never, never…" Her voice trailed off into a crazed muttering fit.

Disgusted, Yu shoved her towards Mitsuru to be restrained as well as to keep himself from punching her senseless. The blond girl's head rolled around without reason and she started to laugh while a battle-worn Chie approached Yu and asked, "What do we do now?"

Before the boy could reply, Shizu's voice cut in, "Now, you watch them _die!_"

The stack of TVs all sputtered to life, revealing the same battle that the group had glimpsed up in the skies of the fake worlds. Whether they wanted to or not, everyone's attention focused on the scene that was presented to them.

* * *

Rise gritted her teeth. She was on the cusp of losing her focus, but the idol fought to keep it and Himiko steady. Shadow Naoto never relented with its whips and Rise's body shook with every lash that hit her Persona. _How long do you think you can last? Your Persona is no fighter!_ The Shadow's jeering words echoed unremittingly in her mind, but she held Naoto closer to her body. The detective was barely conscious now and the brunette knew her time was terrifyingly short. _Your Persona is no fighter…!_ Rise bit her lip.

_My Shadow was…_

Her resolve hardened, and as she felt Naoto's blood covered hand gently touch her cheek, energy rapidly grew within Rise. It accumulated from her heart to pour around her entire body, and although she didn't notice, a glow manifested around her. She held a hand out towards the flickering image of Himiko, and when she did she uttered her Persona's name in a firm breath, "Himiko."

The energy shot from Rise to her Persona, and Himiko tilted her head down just enough to point her scanner directly at the Shadow. As soon as she did, bright light erupted from Himiko to strike Naoto's Shadow full-force and envelope it completely. The chain slipped from the Shadow's slack hand and clattered to the ground, and when the light finally faded, Naoto's Shadow was no longer a monster.

Her Shadow sank to her knees and bowed her head in silence. Rise stood and aided Naoto up to her feet at the detective's direction, and gently Naoto pulled free from the brunette's arms to approach her newfound piece of heart. "You are right on how I feel for Rise, but you have the logic misconstrued. She is very beautiful, more so than I will ever be, but I do not feel jealousy for that. I was jealous of her interest in Yu-senpai… I hated her only because I desire to love her, more than anything else."

The detective's Shadow remained still as Naoto turned to directly look at Rise. Tears were brimming in the smaller girl's eyes, but yet her lips held a fragile smile. It was honestly the first moment that Rise had ever been able to see Naoto's heart lay completely open before her, and the idol was silent from overwhelming emotion.

"Rise… I do not know what will become of us after this is all said and done, but I will not hide anything from you any longer. You have already been witness to the shadows of my heart, so now I ask you one question: will you accept me, with all of my flaws and strengths, as the one you call lover?"

The brunette's heart missed a step. The genuine emotion within Naoto's eyes resonated with Rise's own feelings and the idol started to cry. She walked straight up to the detective and pulled her into a decisive embrace. As she held Naoto's trembling body close, Rise spoke, "Yes. I will happily accept you, Naoto. I want to be with you…" She loosened her hold on the short haired girl just enough to gently grasp her chin while intensely studying her gaze, then Rise kissed Naoto deeply.

The instant that their lips touched, light began to encompass them as well as Himiko and Naoto's Shadow. It grew bright and lasted until the kiss broke, and when it faded it revealed two new Personas standing behind the girls. Naoto looked over her shoulder at the spot where her Shadow had been and a name whispered across her lips when her gaze met her Persona, "Yamato Takeru."

Rise smiled and acknowledged her Persona's new form as well, "Kanzeon."

The powerful Personas approached while reaching out towards each other and they clasped their hands together. From their touch, a wave of power flared out that affected the image of the broken Inaba. The world around them wavered and flickered out to reveal the studio stage that they knew so well. Sure enough, Teddie's exit stood just a few feet away, and relief flooded through the girls.

Their Personas faded as the two made their way to the stack of old TVs with Rise supporting Naoto. The detective had lost a lot of blood over the course of their time in the TV world and her broken ribs protested with every step, but still she held her head high. They had overcome so much together and now the bond between the two girls was stronger than it had ever been, forged through shared pain and honest support.

Rise reached out to the exit with her free hand and the two were pulled through the vortex between realities. The last thing Naoto remembered was the familiar falling sensation and then the painful impact with the linoleum floor of Junes, where her weak body finally succumbed to her horrific injuries.

* * *

The junkyard erupted into chaotic cheers and one wail of dismay. Before Shizu could make sense of how the trapped girls had escaped, Teddie joyfully explained, "Bet ya didn't count on a secret exit~!" She screamed in rage the entire way as Mitsuru, Labrys, and Fuuka dragged her away.

Yu approached the pile of TVs and experimented by touching the surface of one. His hand sunk into the screen like it had countless times before, and at his side Teddie released a cry of jubilation. "Looks like they broke the seal by coming through," Yu said thoughtfully.

Chie roughly grabbed his arm to drag him away as she said, "That's all fine and dandy, but we need to hurry our asses to Junes on the double!" The other friends present strongly voiced their agreement on this plan, and despite the exhaustion of a rough battle, they all found their second wind and raced out of the junkyard.

Mitsuru stood by her limo and said, "Want a ride? Fuuka and Labrys are on their way to our headquarters with the suspect, so we can go get Kujikawa-san and Shirogane-san." Yu nodded gratefully while his friends piled into the ridiculously spacious interior, then he followed. The red haired woman breathed a sigh of relief before she joined them and firmly shut the door behind her.

_End Episode 5~_


	6. Bad Ending

Bad Ending

The idol let out a small groan from the hard impact of landing in the real world. She rubbed her aching shoulder for a moment while looking around for Naoto. When Rise spotted her, her heart took a violent plunge. She carefully gathered the deathly pale detective up into her arms just as nearby customers noticed the two blood soaked girls and ran for help.

Naoto stirred when she was moved and her eyes fluttered open. It took her a moment to focus on Rise and she was starting to gasp, her small body convulsing with every shallow draw for breath. "R-Rise…" she faintly wheezed, but the teary brunette shushed her.

"I'm right here," Rise whispered, finding it difficult to keep her voice from cracking. Naoto's gaze roamed around the store for a few seconds before she again met honey brown eyes, and the detective tried to reach for Rise's tears.

"I… I'm sorry…" Naoto mumbled. It was becoming much harder for the smaller girl to breathe and her impossibly heavy hand dropped before reaching Rise's cheek, which slightly frustrated her. Someone was frantically repeating that help was on the way, but in her heart Naoto knew it would not make a difference.

The idol grasped her fallen hand and held it up against her chest, which shook with the girl's sobs. "Naoto… please don't. Please…" Rise pleaded, softly at first but with quickly escalating urgency. Again Naoto's blue eyes roamed aimlessly around before they closed, and the brunette felt the hand in her hold go slack. The convulsions of the detective's body stopped and Rise doubled over while a wail escaped her trembling lips.

Paramedics arrived at Junes shortly after, but all of their efforts to resuscitate the detective were in vain. The idol had to be dragged away from Naoto's body and taken outside, where paramedics went to work on examining and treating her own injuries. Rise didn't say a word to them when they tried to question her about what exactly happened to the two girls.

She had fallen into a deep state of shock. The only thing that somewhat snapped her out of it was the familiar sight of her friends when they piled out of a long limo that had pulled up behind the ambulance. She ran from the ambulance with tears in her eyes and she threw herself into Yu's arms as overwhelming sobs wracked her body. It wasn't necessary for her to explain anything because her sorrowful behavior clearly said it all.

For a moment the group stood in dumbfounded silence, then they all fell apart in their own ways. Chie and Yukiko collapsed into each other's arms while Teddie broke down and sank to the ground. Yosuke stood by Yu and Rise as tears fell from his eyes, and Mitsuru turned away to hide her expression. Kanji's body shook hard from the effort of the blonde boy trying to bottle his emotions, but they escaped his control. He screamed and sank down to bury his face behind his arms.

Yu looked over all of his heartbroken friends while clutching tightly to Rise, unaware of his own tears as they fell without restraint into brunette hair. He never expected this to happen to them, and deep down he felt a seed of rage growing in his heart. Rage towards Shizu. Rage that he did not want to control.

The boy lightly placed a hand against Rise's head when he heard the sound of a stretcher rolling towards them from within Junes. On the stretcher, a white sheet shrouded the shape of a small body, and he had to turn away. The stretcher was loaded into a waiting coroner van, and after the van drove away, he turned to the Kurijo woman.

"I want to talk to Shizu."

* * *

Mitsuru knew that it wasn't a smart idea to put Yu alone in a room with the crazy girl, but she didn't care. She met Yu's grey gaze and gave the boy one nod before opening the door and admitting him into the private interrogation room. The boy was silent as he entered the nearly bare room and he did not acknowledge Shizu's presence as he sat in the chair across the table from her. The door shut after him followed by a click of the lock. He placed his hands on the edge of the table but still did not look up at her.

The girl watched him with a tight-lipped smile, and then she spoke, "You should consider yourself lucky. I heard about that crossdressing piece of trash, and frankly I think it's better-"

Without warning, Yu bellowed with rage while flipping the heavy metal table aside. He leaped for Shizu and seized her by the throat, carrying her to slam her brutally against a wall. "Keep your mouth shut! You have absolutely _no right_ to talk about Naoto, for _any reason!_" She struggled in his tight hold, but he could tell by her expression that she believed she was safe. He leaned closer to whisper dangerously, "Keep in mind that you're in the custody of the Shadow Operatives, not the local police. They work under a completely different set of rules." He slammed her again to emphasize his point and tightened his grip until she could no longer breathe.

Shizu began to struggle more frantically, now in fear of her life. She wished that she could call her Persona to her aid, but the area of the Shadow Operative headquarters that they were located in was constantly bathed in scrambling frequencies to block that precise thing. The girl was helpless against Yu's brute strength.

"Do you understand what you've done!? You selfish fucking bitch!" Yu screamed, releasing her throat to deliver a powerful punch that broke her nose again. Staggering for a moment, Shizu sank to the floor while clutching her nose, but she regretted it when Yu kicked her in the face, pounding the back of her head against the wall with the same strike. Her world faded in and out and she slumped over, but his kicks didn't stop.

He continued to slam the heel of his shoe against her side until he felt several snaps, then he turned and paced around the soundproof room a few times. "You know, on my way here, I kept thinking about how I would approach you about this. I thought about just talking to you, but you already proved that it's a bad idea to speak to you. I figure stooping to your level might do the trick and make you really understand your actions, but I realized something: I don't care if you understand or not. You hurt me. You deeply hurt my friends, and you broke the heart of one of them so badly that I worry about her well-being and her future. The look in her eyes…"

Yu approached Shizu and dragged her upright by her hair. When her glossy eyes finally looked at him, he whispered, "You murdered Naoto, and by doing so, you killed Rise in here." He tapped his chest. "I know that you don't know what it feels like to have a heart, and now I'm certain that I have lost mine. I would have never imagined that I would want to hurt someone this much, so congratulations. You've made me suffer, just like you wanted!" He punched her in the stomach.

"Now, all I want is to return the favor to you."

* * *

Another sleepless night found Rise walking along the Samegawa Floodplain by herself. Quietly the idol made her way down to the river's edge where she sat on the cool grass and turned her gaze to the water. The silver light from the moon danced along the edges of the river's waves, but it only held the idol's attention for a short time. One of her hands slipped into the pocket of her jacket and fingers tightly curled around a familiar metal object, which she pulled out to study in the moonlight.

Naoto's revolver glinted faintly beneath the moon and stars, and when Rise's honey brown eyes took in its contours, she felt some sense of relief. She had taken it from Naoto's body just before the paramedics had arrived and she had carried it with her since that moment, though she had told no one about having it. Lightly she trailed a fingertip along the short length of the barrel, tracing the outline of the weapon until her touch reached the trigger.

"Naoto…" the brunette whispered sadly. Numerous times, Rise had held Naoto's gun while weighing a heavy choice in her mind, but tonight the idol no longer debated. One option rang true from her heart, and as she lifted the weapon now, she knew that she was following the path of her heart.

No longer would she hurt.

l~ * ~l


	7. Good Ending

Good Ending

Mitsuru's limo pulled up to the entrance of Junes just as paramedics rolled a stretcher out to a waiting ambulance. Rise was keeping pace with the stretcher, which carried the unconscious detective. Paramedics had to pull Rise aside so they could load Naoto into the ambulance, but she only complied because she saw Yu step out of the luxury vehicle nearby. The idol ran into his waiting arms with tears in her eyes as she said, "Quick, we have to follow them…"

He nodded and pulled her into the limo, where the rest of her friends waited. She was greeted with cheers and hugs that hurt, but she welcomed it all with a tearful smile. Mitsuru instructed the limo driver to head for the hospital before she asked Rise about injuries. Sniffing a bit, Rise replied, "I'm mostly fine, thanks to Naoto… She did everything she could and more to keep me safe."

Her heartfelt words were met with knowing nods, and Chie said, "Yeah, we saw parts of the fight with Naoto-kun's Shadow… I can't believe you took it down with just one blow! You're incredible!"

Rise shook her head in disagreement, but her friends would have none of that. They took turns appraising her as well as Naoto for what the two had overcome together, and Mitsuru inspected the few wounds that the brunette had sustained.

"I'm pretty damn sure that I wouldn't last two whole days in the TV world. Ya both got some serious balls," Kanji said.

Teddie followed his words with his own remark, "Yeah! That battle with Nao-chan's Shadow looked bear-y grizzly to me!"

The muscular blonde punched Teddie's arm for the horrible puns while Yukiko said, "I'm glad you're both safe and free from the TV… We've all been so worried for you both." Many nodded with her words, and Yu just smiled when Rise looked in his direction.

"Well, it wasn't easy, but it's over now. I just hope Naoto will be okay… She got hurt really badly just to keep me out of danger," Rise muttered while sniffing and studying her hands.

Chie rubbed her thumb across her nose as she said, "That girl is stubborn and tough! She won't go down that easily, and all she needs is some time to rest. You'll see, Rise-chan! She'll bounce right back."

Any doubts that the idol might have still had fell flat in the face of her friends. She smiled wide at everyone before leaning back into the soft leather of the limo. A yawn slipped from her before she nodded with affirmation, and the idol drifted off into a light sleep.

* * *

A few days later, the group of friends filled the hospital room where Naoto lay right after her grandfather had excused himself for a moment. Doctors had done everything they could to put the small girl on the road to recovery, but Naoto was now trapped in a coma.

Although the friends had been questioned about the situation at first, Mitsuru and her Shadow Operatives had employed a smooth cover-up operation, which proved the finesse and the almost scary efficiency of the Kurijo group. Now they waited for the Detective Prince to come around and finally reunite the entire group once again, but it was painful. They had spent the first couple of nights talking about what had happened while Rise and Naoto were stuck in the TV, and in turn the idol told the story of what transpired within it. It had been a somewhat effective distraction, but it couldn't quell the atmosphere of concern.

Rise sat right at Naoto's bedside with Chie and Yukiko beside her, and the boys occupied the other side of the detective's bed. It was quiet in the room aside from the occasional beep from the machines attached to Naoto, so Chie decided to break the silence by asking, "How did you ever meet that crazy girl in the first place, Yu?"

The grey eyed boy contemplated on answering, but he decided it was a story that should be told. "That girl… I met Shizu Wakahisa when we were kids. She lived in the apartments across the street from mine, and we would play in the nearby park together. She never showed any troubling signs back then, and we got along well enough. I never thought much of our time together, but Shizu obviously did. She had some difficulties with making friends, but she was always so happy when I was with her."

"She said something about promises you made with her before she moved… What were they?" Yukiko questioned.

Yu gave a small sigh before he answered, "I promised her that I would always be there for her, and that I would wait for her to come back to me. I didn't understand the full weight of my words back then, and with time I forgot about them until I saw her again…" He rubbed his face with his hands, and Yosuke put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Yu, it's not your fault. I'm pretty sure we all made promises like that when we were kids, without understanding what we were doing. We grew up and we learned that promises like that are just not realistic… Apparently Shizu never got that memo."

Everyone around nodded in agreement, and Yu smiled slightly with relief. "Thanks, guys," he said sincerely. His friends all smiled back at him, and the unseen weight he had been carrying suddenly lifted from his shoulders. They didn't blame him at all for what happened, and Yu felt honestly blessed for the tight bonds he held with everyone gathered in the room.

His grey eyes fell onto Naoto and a pang shot through his heart for the small girl. Rise reached out to gently caress Naoto's cheek, and when her fingertips made contact the detective's eyelids fluttered very slightly. At first Yu thought he had imagined it, but when her eyelids fluttered again, the idol audibly gasped. She picked up Naoto's hand, and blue eyes opened in response.

"Naoto!" the brunette cried, and the rest of the room erupted. Kanji and Teddie flew out of the room to alert the hospital staff and find Naoto's grandfather while Rise jumped to her feet. Naoto's deep blue eyes met the gazes of those around her bed and she smiled with recognition.

Chie let out a cheer while Yukiko burst into tears of relief and joy, and Yosuke slapped Yu on the back. "Look at that. Everything turned out perfectly in the end, eh partner?" the boy said.

Yu grinned in reply and he clasped Yosuke's shoulder as he said, "I'm glad you feel that way, because there's something I have been meaning to tell you for a while now. When Ted, Kanji, and I couldn't get into the TV from Junes, Kanji kind of accidently smashed his fist through it… and destroyed several other sets in the process. As the leader, I took responsibility for it… and charged the bill to your account."

Yosuke's face went completely slack. "You… you what?"

l~ * ~l


	8. True Ending

True Ending

It had been a few weeks since Shizu was finally apprehended and Naoto and Rise had escaped from the TV world. The fight with Shizu had been fierce and left many of the investigation team members a mess, but the small detective Naoto barely made it out of the TV with her life. Rise had been in a hysterical state when the two were found on the floor of Junes because Naoto was anemic and near death from her horrible injuries. She had spent several days in a coma with her grandfather and the idol right at her side the entire time, which left absolutely no question about the relationship between the two now.

The detective was at home, still recovering but doing much better than before. Rise had been with her every night and thankfully Naoto's grandfather didn't mind the situation between the two girls (he seemed more happy that Naoto was alive and that she wasn't alone anymore). For Naoto, it had been a terribly difficult ordeal for her to fully accept herself and the truths of her heart, but she felt much better for it. Every time she would look at Rise, she felt truly happy, and she always saw that same spark within honey brown eyes when they were on her.

The evening was pleasantly warm, so the two spent it together on the outside balcony of Naoto's room. Although it was still a bit hard for the shorter girl to move around, the gentle evening breeze was well worth the effort. She released a small sigh as she leaned back on the swinging patio couch, her noise drawing Rise's attention to her. The idol smiled at Naoto when their gazes met and the blue eyed girl slid over until they were pressing against each other. She leaned her head on Rise's shoulder and it was the brunette's turn to sigh contently.

In the quiet that followed, Naoto looked up at the evening sky and thoughtfully said, "I never dreamed that this kind of thing would happen to me. Although it's true that I never really thought about these things before…"

"You've never let yourself think about them, though. You locked your heart up so tightly from everyone that even _you_ forgot about its existence and the things it needs," Rise softly replied.

A small chuckle sounded from Naoto at these words before she said, "That had become a rather bad habit of mine, but I believe it is one that I've overcome now." She lifted her head to peer into honey brown eyes, communicating without words to say that it was all thanks to Rise, and the profound eye contact drew a blush from the idol. Her blush only intensified when Naoto gently grasped her head to lead her into a light kiss. It was brief, but when the detective drew away, Rise's hands shot up to grip Naoto's shirt collar and the brunette pulled her back in for another taste.

This kiss was met with a breathy moan from Naoto that betrayed her stirring feelings and parted her lips. Rise slid her tongue into the detective's mouth for the first time and the sensation caused a shiver within both girls that left hearts racing faster. The idol moaned lightly when she felt Naoto's tongue caress hers and gentle fingers ran through her long brunette hair.

It was the most that Naoto had ever touched Rise, and there was no sign of the shorter girl stopping anytime soon. All of those suppressed desires that the detective had tried to ignore seemed to be overwhelming her now and she released a heavier moan to reflect that fact. Rise was more than happy to let the blue eyed girl explore her new feelings in whatever way she wanted, and the idol laid down on the swing at Naoto's discretion.

The detective held herself up above Rise's body, their eyes intensely studying each other in the moonlight while their breaths started to come quicker. A finger lightly traced the delicate curve of Naoto's cheek as Rise whispered, "You're so beautiful, Naoto."

The short haired girl smiled wryly with her hushed response, "Not as beautiful as you are, Rise."

When the brunette parted her lips to try to refute Naoto, the detective stole her breath with an intense and passionate kiss, silencing Rise's protests. Naoto's hands hesitantly slid down the brunette's front, but when Rise trembled underneath her from building desire, the smaller girl felt some of her sheepishness melt away.

She broke their kiss to intently gaze down at Rise while slipping a hand beneath the idol's blouse. Against her fingertips, the skin of the brunette was like silk, which drove Naoto to comment, "And you say my skin is soft?" Rise only smiled in response. She watched Naoto open her blouse one button at a time, and once it was the blue eyed girl pulled it apart. When the idol's sensitive skin was exposed, Naoto slid herself down Rise's body just far enough to trail kisses across her chest. Lacy blue fabric still hid Rise's breasts from the detective's lips and the brunette found herself wishing it was already out of the way.

The method that Naoto used to tease Rise was working spectacularly, the smaller girl's tender kisses setting Rise's skin alight with hot desire. It didn't take long before Rise's breaths came with soft sounds. She met those deep blue eyes with an expression that clearly pleaded for more, so Naoto obliged. Her fingers tugged on the idol's bra to reveal tantalizing skin that Naoto promptly covered in kisses. When blue lacy fabric was completely out of the way, the detective gently rubbed one of Rise's breasts while sucking on the other and her efforts were rewarded with a soft moan.

Naoto took a nipple into her mouth and flicked her tongue against it before the brunette urged her to sit up. She pulled Naoto into another breathless kiss while slowly tugging open the buttons on the detective's shirt, being mindful of the injuries her body still bore. Beneath the fabric, much of Naoto's torso was still wrapped up in bandages, but that didn't stop Rise from finding and caressing sensitive skin.

Her touch dipped down along Naoto's lower belly and the smaller girl tenderly moaned in response. A tremor ran through her body that fueled Rise to go farther and her fingers slid between the waistband of Naoto's jeans and soft skin. Rise dragged her fingers around to Naoto's hip while her other hand worked on the detective's belt buckle. Soon the brunette loosened Naoto's pants enough to be able to inch them lower along the smaller girl's thighs.

When the cool night breeze caressed Naoto now, she shivered slightly and blushed. Honey brown eyes met her gaze while her denim was pulled completely off, and after Rise let Naoto's pants drop to the balcony floor, the idol kissed the Detective Prince. Gently, Rise guided Naoto to lie back in a comfortable position, then the brunette lightly started to kiss and suck on the side of Naoto's sensitive neck. One of Rise's hands slid down in between the two girls, then fingertips lightly trailed against the soft skin of the detective's inner thighs.

Naoto's moans came with more urgency as she gasped out, "R-Rise~!"

The idol responded with a soft kiss behind an ear and Naoto shook again. She draped her arms around Rise's neck while her legs curled around the brunette's waist, and Rise drew aside Naoto's intimate fabric while stroking her warmth for the first time. The raw sensation of it, of the brunette's fingertips touching her in such a way, was almost incomprehensible to the smaller girl. When again Rise sucked on her neck, Naoto shuddered and held the idol tighter.

It wasn't long before Rise's fingers were coated in wet warmth, and she pushed into Naoto, much to the detective's trembling satisfaction. She softly moaned at the intrusion and her body shook when the brunette drew her fingers out part way. Rise moved her lips to catch Naoto's next moan in her mouth before pushing into that silky heat again. The idol began with a sensually slow rhythm, still trying to be mindful of the smaller girl's injuries while making love to her.

After another deep kiss, Rise drew away from Naoto's lips to slide down the detective's body, leaving kisses in her wake. Hazy blue eyes watched her move, and Rise heatedly looked up at Naoto while removing her panties. The short haired girl attempted to speak, but the tongue of the idol was quicker. Rise licked Naoto's sex and the surprising sensation of it drove a gasp from Naoto.

She let her head fall back with a groan when the brunette's tongue slid deeper into her, Rise pressing her hands against Naoto's inner thighs when they trembled hard. Then the idol began to use alternating techniques with her mouth and fingers, trying to inspire more pleasure from Naoto's body. Judging from the noises that Naoto released, Rise was doing just that.

The detective felt hot all over, the physical pleasure of Rise inside of her almost overwhelming the healing pains of her wounds. She faintly cried out when those fingers curled just right and Rise moaned when the girl's warmth tightened around her. Moving faster, the idol flicked the tip of her tongue against Naoto's swollen clit before enveloping it with a sucking kiss that made Naoto groan heavily. Her body's tension escalated in rhythm with Rise's increasing speed and pressure, and the smaller girl knew she wouldn't last for much longer.

Her hands covered her mouth because it was the only way she could slightly lower her volume, but it wasn't very effective. Rise curled her fingers and pushed hard with every inward plunge until pure rapture overtook Naoto. Her sex tensed tightly around the idol while a growing cry escaped her lips, and a few heartbeats later she climaxed. Wet warmth drenched Rise's mouth and hand, leaving the idol with a deep sense of satisfaction in her heart.

She lifted her mouth from Naoto's warmth as she slowly licked her dripping lips, but she kept her fingers deep inside of the detective. Deep blue eyes peered at her with desire and love, and Rise's heart missed a beat. Naoto tugged on Rise's open shirt to urge the brunette close enough for an intense kiss. The detective's hands were all over her body now, caressing smooth skin while she tasted herself in Rise's mouth.

One of Naoto's hands slid down between them to gently grasp Rise's wrist, and she eased those fingers out of her. Their kiss broke and Naoto tenderly cupped Rise's cheek, gazing into honey brown eyes and smiling. Rise couldn't help the gentle laugh that sounded from her, and she whispered, "I'm so happy right now, more than I've ever been."

The detective sighed and replied, "As am I. In all of my years, I never imagined that my heart could feel like this."

Rise intertwined her fingers with Naoto's own, holding their hands to her chest. The detective could see that the idol was perfectly content, but Naoto's curiosity was not yet sated. There were a few things that she wanted to try out, a few sounds she wanted to hear the idol make, and a specific expression of passion she wanted to see on that beautiful face.

A playful grin touched Naoto's lips, and when Rise saw this she asked, "What's on your mind, miss detective?"

The short haired girl climbed on top of the idol before she answered, "You will find out soon enough, my dear idol." Her lips stole Rise's breath away while one of her hands grasped and massaged a sensitive breast, drawing a sigh from the brunette. Once Naoto broke the kiss, she lightly nuzzled Rise's neck and smiled when the idol's breath started to quicken. The detective's fingertips slowly trailed down the length of the idol's smooth stomach, drawing goose bumps along the way.

Unlike Naoto, Rise wore a skirt with the bottom hem reaching mid-thigh, so it was easy for the smaller girl to let her hands caress Rise's inner thighs. Beneath her, the brunette parted her legs for Naoto's exploration to go further, so the detective tenderly kissed the edge of Rise's ear while letting her fingers move up beneath the skirt. The heat increased the higher that Naoto's fingers reached, leading her to the silken fabric of Rise's panties.

Naoto trembled for a moment as it all washed over her: finally being able to overcome the fears of her own heart and finding out that Rise had been waiting for her the entire time, being alone with her like this now, those overwhelming emotions that filled her whenever honey brown eyes looked in her direction… It was a lot to take in, but the detective could honestly say that she had never been happier. Lightly she kissed Rise on the lips and slipped fingers beneath the idol's wet fabric, where more wet heat greeted her.

Their kiss broke when Naoto slowly stroked the length of Rise's sex, a moan sounding from the idol at this. Despite it being Naoto's first time with anyone, the perceptive girl picked it up with ease. She slowly worked her fingers along Rise without penetrating her as she also lightly sucked on the idol's ear. Rise's breathy moans filled the short haired girl with growing desire again, and Naoto couldn't help but be surprised at how easily aroused her spent body became.

She let her teasing mouth go lower until her tongue traced the outline of an erect nipple, but still she would not push into Rise. A fingertip rubbed the idol's clit, urging it to swell almost painfully while drawing more warmth from Rise's sex. The brunette started to whimper with need. Still the detective prolonged her teasing, now lightly sucking on an aching breast.

Eventually Rise met her mischievous blue eyes and pleaded, "N-Naoto, please…?"

Naoto released the breast in her mouth to smile at Rise, and at last she slid her fingers home. The groan that sounded from the idol sent a pleasant chill down Naoto's spine and satisfied one of the detective's curiosities. Now she had a few things she wanted to try. She eased into it by slowly pushing into Rise and pulling out even slower until Naoto knew that Rise's excitement was well grounded. With an increase of speed, the smaller girl worked another finger into Rise's tight sex and was rewarded with more passionate sounds. Recalling her own experience just a short time before, the detective experimented by curling her fingers deep inside of Rise's heat, probing until she located the spot that sent a shudder throughout the brunette's body. Naoto smiled.

Now to employ a different tactic.

The smaller girl pulled her fingers free, which caused Rise to look at her and breathlessly ask, "Why'd you stop?" The detective repositioned herself above Rise's body, and as she did so the idol caught on to her train of thought. Rise put her hands on Naoto's hips to help steady her as the detective placed herself in a position where both mouth and hands could be put to use, by both her and Rise.

"I would have never expected you to want to do this~" Rise breathed as she reached up to touch the detective's throbbing sex.

Naoto glanced back at her while pushing two fingers into the idol to retort, "It's entirely your fault, my dear idol. Everything about you just – _ungh!_" Rise had eagerly covered Naoto's heat with her mouth, purposefully cutting the detective off mid-sentence. It both slightly annoyed yet really excited Naoto, and soon the smaller girl had to use the idol's sex to help muffle her own sounds of ecstasy. The two girls went on in an unspoken struggle for dominance until Naoto pulled her tongue free of Rise to cry out in completion and defeat. Even so, the detective still wanted to see that beautiful face in pure passion, so Naoto carefully moved positions again.

She immediately pressed onto Rise's body and gazed down into those honey brown eyes as her drenched fingers moved to finish the job. She crossed her fingers before working them into the idol's tight sex, where Naoto could feel Rise's quick heartbeats throbbing around her fingers. Naoto moved her fingers with absolute purpose, every inward push driving a rapturous moan from Rise's sweet voice while her facial expression clearly spoke of her physical pleasure.

The detective curled her fingers just right to bring the sensation home, and the idol squealed while tightening fiercely around Naoto. Rise's beautiful face displayed that intense moment of climax when it overtook her, and Naoto felt her heart swell with love. She held on to Rise while the idol shook from head to toe, and a deeply rooted sigh followed when her body slowly came down from that peak.

When Rise's honey brown eyes opened again, she looked at Naoto's serene expression and knew. She pulled the detective close and smiled as she whispered, "Naoto… I love you."

Naoto hugged her tightly and sincerely replied, "I love you, Rise. More than I ever imagined I had inside of me. Thank you…"

"For what?"

A few tears slipped from thoughtful blue eyes as the detective responded, "For helping me to open up my heart and for showing me that I do not need to be terrified of my own desires."

Rise didn't notice when tears started to brim in her own eyes. Her smile never faltered and she replied, "We all deserve that much, but I'm happy that it was me who could show you the truth of that."

Their lips met for a deep and heartfelt kiss, which communicated their feelings for each other far better than words could ever touch upon.

l~*~l

Started September 7, 2012  
Completed November 20, 2012  
L.A. Moonfyre


End file.
